Celebrate Earth Day in the Neighborhood

April 22nd is Earth Day, and there are plenty of simple ways to celebrate right here in the neighborhood!

Pro-pollination Planting

Without pollination, we wouldn’t have fruits and vegetables! Bring native bees and other pollinating creatures to your garden. How do you do that? By putting out the right kind of plants! To attract butterflies, plant these!  For hummingbirds, these! You can even make your garden bee-friendly!

Clean Up

It’s great to see so many people using our parks and beaches. Know what’s not good? The litter left behind. We all need to do better.  Pick up our trash and put it into the trash barrels. If there are no barrels at the park or beach, bring your poop bag or trash home and throw it in your own trash barrel. Sweep the streets in front of your homes and businesses.  If you see trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it away. Easy peasy! You can also sign up and/or organize neighborhood cleanups! 

Create your own Garden.

The Boston Public Library would like to help you create your own garden!  Grow your own vegetables, herbs, and flowers!  You can pick up free seeds at participating branches! Get the details here. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Have you seen the recycling dropboxes in the neighborhood? Residents looking to drop off their household textiles, including clothes, shoes, sneakers, bags, stuffed animals, bedding, and towels, must dry them and place them in a secure plastic bag. You can learn more here! 

Injeanius will give you 20% off a new pair of jeans when you recycle your own jeans with them(some restrictions apply). Maybe consider a new pair of sustainable denim for your closet!

Covet is also a great spot to shop for recycled fashion.  You can also consign items from your closet, which also helps the earth!

General recycling—The City of Boston has handy blue bins/barrels for recycling with curbside pickup. Visit here to learn what you can recycle, how to eliminate hazardous waste, and how to request a recycling container! 

Shop Locally

You will not only support our community’s local economy but also help the environment by saving gas. Walk there and bring your own bag. Here are some ways to support small businesses in the neighborhood! 

Earth Day Party at Franklin Park Zoo

It’s the annual Earth Day celebration at Franklin Park Zoo! Spend a fun and engaging day connecting with nature and learning about important conservation work underway right here in eastern Massachusetts and across the globe. Talk to local environmental organizations and non-profits and learn how you can contribute to a healthy ecosystem and preserve our planet! You can learn more here! 

Ride the T, Bike, or Walk

Leave the car at home and save your parking space in the process. You’ll save money, burn calories, and reduce road rage. Enough said.

Do a little bird watching.

Take a walk in our parks or along the beach and look for some birds! Think bird watching is boring? Think again! And finding birds beyond a pigeon and a common sparrow takes looking out your window or walking around the block. Enjoy our beginner’s bird watching guide! 

How will you celebrate Earth Day?