Happy Earth Month, everyone!

I know…it’s been a rough year for the planet. But, that does not discount all of the good things happening and all of the good things yet to come. Yes, let’s acknowledge that this administration is doing terrible things for the planet, but that does not mean we need to lose hope. We can organize and do collective action this month (and every month of every year) to celebrate the earth, honor the earth, and protect the earth.

And before we get into it, don’t forget to check out my hot takes about Earth Day as an environmentalist…

AND!! My Zero Waste in a Year Guide and Calendar are currently 30% off for the entirety of Earth Month. Learn more about the guide here or go ahead and buy it here :)

Okay, now let’s get started!

Read an eco-book

What a great time to sit down and learn! My non-fiction books used to be exclusively in the environmentalism science/zero waste genre. But ever since reading The Intersectional Environmentalist for my Eco Book Club, I realized that I need to expand my non-fiction reading. So, while I still read eco-themed books (check out some recs here), I’ve also begun reading about politics and feminism and race and so many more topics. They’re all connected! If you want a full list of my book recommendations, eco or political, you can find them here.

Watch an eco-documentary

Maybe reading isn’t your jam or you don’t have the time to pick up a print or audiobook, try an eco-documentary instead! I think this is going to be on my list for 2025 because I haven’t updated my list of recommendations in a while…

But, there are so many good ones out there from waste to farming to animal agriculture to fast fashion and simply just admiring the beauty of the planet.

The moral of the story is to use this month to get educated about an eco-topic that inspires you!

Join a clean-up

While clean-ups happen all year long, they very popularly happen during Earth Month. This could look like a beach clean-up, picking up trash on a hiking trail, cleaning a city park, and things of that nature. Get your reusable gloves ready, bring your own water and sun protection, and get to work with a group of likeminded individuals!

I love volunteering as a way to explore my public lands and even make lasting friendships. I made such good friends with another couple we volunteered with in Las Vegas that I attended their 2024 wedding!

Volunteer in another way

But maybe that’s not your jam, pick another cause to volunteer for! Simply put, volunteer this Earth Day. Other events that might happen could be tree plantings, food banks, and other community events. Or, you can find a place to volunteer at regularly, such as the library, a thrift store, or an animal shelter. Take some time to give back to your community and, therefore, the earth this Earth Month.

Donate money instead

Don’t have the time to spare? Donate some money instead. It doesn’t have to be your whole life savings, $5 can go a long way! When I volunteered at Voyageurs National Park in summer 2024, our partner organization regularly raised $1000s every single year. How? Through several small donations. Your donation of $1-20 may not seem like much, but it adds up when plenty of people come together.

Sure, you could donate to a big org like the Red Cross or Earth Justice, these are fine places to donate your money. But I encourage you to donate it locally. Maybe you have a local zero waste organization, a local environmental non-profit, or even a mutual aid through GoFundMe. Find a cause that means a lot to you and find one locally!

Get to know your plant and animal neighbors

I’ve always cared about the planet. But, my care deepened when I started to call my plant and animal neighbors by name. I feel so much more connected to the planet and our ecosystem if I can spot a chestnut-backed chickadee and not just a miscellaneous bird. I love the connection I feel to a Coast Redwood instead of just a generic tree.

Robin Wall Kimmerer really hammers this home in Braiding Sweetgrass (another Eco Book Club read). The more connected we are to the planet, the more we care about the plane, and the more we will care for and fight for the planet.

I like using the Seek app for plant-ID and Merlin for bird-ID!

Go car-free for the day

I know how hard it can be to be 100% car-free in the US. So, make it a challenge to go car-free for just one day! This could look like walking or biking instead of driving if it’s a close distance. For farther distances, try public transportation or carpooling with a coworker or classmate. Maybe you even try working from home or doing class online today! Pick a car-free activity to do with your family such as playing in the yard, walking to the park, biking to get ice cream, and things of that nature.

Learn more about the benefits of car-free communities here!

Pick up 25 pieces of trash

Not everyone is going to have the time to volunteer several hours on Earth Day, so do your part by cleaning up your neighborhood! If everyone who subscribed to my YouTube channel picked up just 25 pieces of trash each, we would pick up a total 700,000 pieces of trash! Throw in my TikTok and Instagram followers and that number is now 2.7 million pieces of trash. If that doesn’t beautifully illustrate how our small actions matter when compiled I don’t know what does!

You don’t have to do a lot. Just a simple walk around the block or to the park and take a trash bag with you. If you get more or less than 25, that’s fine, but 25 for Earth Day 2025 is a good goal, I think.

In 2022, I tried to pick up 22 pieces of trash every single day of Earth Month. Not only did I succeed, but I actually got closer to 100 pieces of trash every day since my neighborhood was so gross. All that to say, it might be easier than you think!

Throw a celebration party for the earth

Get the friends together and have a shin-dig to celebrate our home! But, make it an eco party, of course. Pick a theme and ask guests to thrift their outfits or wear something they already have. Make food from scratch, use reusable cutlery and plates, and offer composting and recycling for your guests. You could watch a documentary or each share about your favorite plant or animal. Or simply use this as a chance to make eco friends in your neighborhood!

Here are more tips on how to throw an eco party.

Register to vote

There’s no better way to celebrate the earth, in my opinion, than voting! No, there probably isn’t an election ON Earth Day, so get registered to vote today, instead. You can register and/or check your registration here. It doesn’t hurt to check, especially if you vote absentee. Many states require you to re-register every single year if you’re an absentee voter, so double-check!

If you have an election coming up, request your ballot if necessary so that you receive it in time. You can also use this day as a chance to solidify your voting plans for the rest of the year. Know who’s on the ticket, know where the polls are, and help friends get registered to vote for the planet!

Write a letter to your elected officials

It’s time to demand action! Yes, voting is important, but our politicians work for us whether it feels like it or not. They don’t know what their constituents want unless we tell them! If climate legislation is on the table in your state this month, tell them that you want it to pass or not. If your state legislation is voting on drilling or other oil infrastructure, call or email your elected officials and tell them how you’d like them to vote on it.

Don’t know where to start? Head to congress.gov to see what bills are being voted on and also find your Senators and House Reps here. If you’d like templates and scripts, be sure to follow me on Instagram where I post these things to my stories as they come up or join my Activism Channel (for free) where I share even more activism tips.

Attend a town hall

Although national action is important, it can be much easier to get stuff done locally. So, go to a town hall this month! If anything, it will be good to sit in and see what goes on in your town. But, you could also bring some materials to speak about. Perhaps your town doesn’t have curbside composting, talk about that! Brainstorm an action plan on how your town can install curbside composting for all residents and help them make it happen. Sure, you can say, “I want composting” and that’s the end of your public comments. But they’re much more likely to listen if you come with facts and a plan. Better yet, bring some friends who can voice the same concerns to show that many people care about that issue.

Start a compost

Speaking of composting, let this be your sign to start composting at your home! Yes, you can still compost even if you don’t have a yard. It could look like signing up for curbside composting, finding a farm to drop your compost off at, or trying a composting machine like Lomi or Mill (though these should be the absolute LAST resort).

But if you have a yard, what are you waiting for? Composting is one of the best things we can do for the planet as individuals to stop harmful food waste from ending up in the landfill. Learn more about 12 different ways to compost here.

Start a garden or join a community garden

Earth Day comes at the perfect time of year to start a garden! Again, if you have a yard, what are you waiting for? It doesn’t have to be a large-scale, extravagant garden. Start with a few small plants. If it goes well, add some more later this summer or next year. But, give it a try!

Don’t have a yard? There are still some options for you, such as planting a few plants in pots to have on the windowsill, like basil or rosemary, or you can join a community garden. Get your hands dirty, build community, learn some skills, and enjoy some tasty food and herbs this year from the fruits of your labor.

Hit up the farmer’s market

Spring is also the time of year when farmer’s markets start to ramp up again! The sun is shining, the food is growing, and it’s the perfect time to get outside and shop locally (more on that soon). I know, it can be out of the budget for many people to shop at regularly, but give it a go this Earth Day if you’ve never been before. Perhaps they’re even doing special events for the holiday! Buy stuff, browse, whatever works for you. But, go have fun with your community and support your local farmers!

Get outside

I think getting outside goes hand in hand with getting to know your plant and animal neighbors. Connecting to the earth leaves me so inspired to keep fighting. Breathing fresh mountain air reminds me that we have work to do to protect clean air for ALL people. Enjoying lovely forest views inspires me to continue to press back against drilling and logging. Plus, I usually do learn about more plants and animals while I’m out there. It can also be good for your mental and physical health. It’s important to take care of yourself while you also take care of the planet!

Inspire others

We can’t do this alone! As I illustrated with the trash example, we need lots of small actions. As the famous quote goes, we don’t need a handful of people living zero waste perfectly, we need everyone on board doing just a few eco things. You don’t have to be perfect and neither does your family or your coworkers. Inspire them to take small steps such as using a reusable water bottle, trying a local restaurant over a big chain, picking up one piece of trash per day, and things of that nature. Our small actions matter but they matter even more when multiplied!

Attend a rally, march, or educational event

Another popular Earth Day event happening all over the US (and maybe even the world) are marches, rallies, and events. Big cities like NYC and San Francisco offer week-long events that include workshops, networking, brand showcases, and peaceful marches. If you live near a city that hosts these events, try going this year! If not, see if you can find an event to join virtually. California regularly hosts climate workshops via Zoom for the whole state so maybe something like that exists for you, too. Get educated and build community all at once!

Try a new eco-swap

Been putting off that one eco swap? Maybe it’s a bit weird, a big expensive, or you just keep forgetting about it. Take this as your sign to finally try it out. Or, if you’re a beginner, simply try any new eco swap you’ve been eyeing. Some ideas are:

Bidet attachment
Rain barrel for your gutter
A bike
Making sourdough
Air drying laundry

You get the idea! Want more ideas for Zero Waste Swaps? Check out my Zero Waste in a Year Guide or find some of my lists for free on YouTube.

Try a new small business in town

Shopping small is inherently better for the planet as I outline in this video. So, give a new small business some love this Earth Month! Let’s work toward getting away from chains and mega-corporations that do nothing but exploit people and harm the planet. Instead, shop at businesses that prioritize their people and the planet! Bonus points if the business is also eco such as a zero waste store.

Get your library card

I should have paired this with #1! I love books and I love my library card. So, go get yours today! If you already have one, head to the library and support them this month. Read an eco book, borrow an eco-documentary, or see if they’re hosting any Earth Month-related events. Libraries offer so much more than just books, too! They provide nothing but environmental and economic benefits to the whole community. So, use, love, and respect your library all year long.

Cook with food waste today

It’s time to get creative in the kitchen! Food is more expensive than ever and food waste is terrible in landfills. Some examples are:

Use brown bananas in banana bread, smoothies, or freeze them for later use
Chop up broccoli stems into a stir fry or curry
Turn bruised apples into applesauce
Any fruit or veggie that’s about to go bad, simply chop it and freeze it to use later
Stale bread makes great croutons or breadcrumbs

You get the idea! There are so many ways to prevent food waste so get creative and eat it before throwing it away.

Go out to eat and practice bringing your reusables

One of my biggest challenges as a long-time zero waster is remembering to bring containers for leftover food at restaurants. I didn’t practice this early on so it never became a habit for me. So, let’s use this month to practice this together! I like Stojo containers because they pack down nicely, are lightweight, and are non-breakable. It’s very easy to ask them to box it up in your container or offer to do it yourself to prevent any confusion or awkwardness.

Try to buy everything locally today

Take Earth Day as a challenge to buy everything locally made. If you live in a big city, this might be totally feasible to do this extremely locally. But if you’re in a small town like me, it might be more achievable to do state-wide as your local bubble. When I shop at the grocery store (I’ve seen this at Sprouts, WinCo, and my local Co-ops), they often have stickers or signs to show where the food came from. The onions may say “grown in California” and the fruit may have imported stickers on them. It may be hard, but for one day, challenge yourself to buy goods produced only in your state.

This can be a great lesson to look at the overall footprint of an item. A lot goes into making and transporting our goods so let’s learn about that!

Break up with consumerism

I think this goes hand-in-hand with the last one. When we become more mindful of how resource-intensive it is to create the things we need and want, it becomes harder for me personally to buy things willy-nilly.

Of course, there are some things we simply cannot give up buying like food, medications, rent, you get the idea. That’s now what I’m asking here. Instead, focus on the things you CAN give up. Do you need to buy that new book or can you just borrow it from the library? Do you need 10 different streaming services or can you make do with 1 or 2?

Everything we buy has a footprint, even digital items like streaming services. Think before you buy to lessen your environmental impact and also to save some money. I just published my free guide to breaking up with overconsumption so you can check that out here for more tips!

Happy Earth Month, everyone! Cheers to a healthy planet and a thriving future. I know, it can be worrisome at times, but even just writing this list has left me inspired and I haven’t even taken any of these actions yet. Let’s get to work and let’s work together. We can build the future we want. A future on a clean planet, a future with little waste, and a future of community.

Let us know below which of these actions you’re going to be taking! You don’t have to do them all. Pick one or two and run with them. As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

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