Earth Day begins in the backyard

By weeklyvolcano on April 24, 2007

Earthdayptdefiance Recognizing my yard was just one rusted out refrigerator and primer-ed Camaro on cinder blocks away from being That Yard on the block, I decided to start my Earth Day with the wee one by being a good steward of my own little patch of the planet.

We mowed, we weeded, we picked up trash, we recycled, we used organic fertilizer, and then we prepared to go to the Zoo, where a slew of events was scheduled to bring to light those things that we can do to make our planet a better place to live.

As it turned out, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium had the same idea as we did, with the underlying message that saving the planet starts at home, with easy tasks.

We pledged to change out our next dead light bulb with an energy saving fluorescent one, we made a Toad Abode, we saw how salmon can be helped up streams (and I relearned about the impact of household poisons on the Sound) and we planted a pea and a bean, to help create healthy oxygen (and food).

The whole global warming, ozone hole thing is scary and overwhelming to me, I have to admit.  Mostly, I like to bury my head in minutiae and act as if it’s not happening.

But with the help of events like Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium’s Earth Day, I can reinforce the little things that we can do, and do them.

Every little bit, multiplied, makes a big difference. â€" Jessica Corey-Butler