Check out Earth Day 2018 events here!
Earth Day is April 22! We’ve put together 10 ideas from Traverse City to Ludington to celebrate Earth Day in Northern Michigan.
1. Cart off your Compost
Don’t feel like dealing with your bucket of compost? Carter’s Compost has the solution for you in the form of bucket slingers like Amelia, Max, Noah, Elise, Jack, Katie, William, Kyan and Moses. For a small fee these elementary-aged kids do weekly bike powered pick-ups and grab your compost for you, only to return with 100% awesome, locally grown compost to use in your garden. It’s a win-win! Learn more about Carter’s Compost, based in Traverse City, and sign up here.
2. Build a Worm Box
It’s a fun activity for kids of all ages! All you need is a container, some shredded paper and of course the red worms (which are not the run of the mill earthworms!) Find more information here.
3. The Sweet Earth Arts & Music Festival at NMC
Celebrate Earth Day the Saturday beforehand by heading over to NMC in Traverse City for the Sweet Earth Arts & Music Festival! Enjoy music from solo artists and bands, take a workshop like “Writing Nature Here” and the kids can participate in a hands-on activity.
4. Clean out the Junk Drawers
In Grand Traverse County check out the “take it back recycle prgm” and the complete list of where to recycle odds and ends from floppy disks to mattresses.
5. Make a Farmers’ Market Meal
What’s more earth-friendly than grabbing some local produce from a farmers’ market near you and then cooking up some tasty recipes!
6. Ludington Area Center for the Arts Earth Day 45th Anniversary Exhibit
A free exhibit that will feature artistic interpretations of the celebration of Earth Day, explore the beauty of the natural world, share an environmental message, and/or propose new ways to co-exist with our environment.
7. Brighten up your Place
Replace your old light bulbs with a greener option, CFL’s. They last longer, they use less energy and they are money savers down the line.
8. Pick up your Neighborhood
Grab some garbage bags and gloves and spend an hour or two beautifying your neighborhood or a part of town that you frequently visit. It’s the best present you can give to the earth and it’s a great reason to get everyone outside!
9. Bike to Work
Thanks to major players like the TART Trails and Norte, more people are jumping on bike seats instead of driving cars. Maybe it’s not possible everyday, but we think Earth Day is a perfect day to bike to work or school!
10. Plan a Garden or Green Roof
Although it’s still early to do much planting, there is a lot of prep that goes into a garden. Have fun for a couple of hours laying out which gardening bed will go where. What types of flowers and veggies will be making an appearance in this year’s garden? Not a gardener? Check out Midnight Harvest. Another fun gardening option is to think about putting a garden on your roof. Check out Traverse City-based Inhabitect for an array of green roof options.