3 ways to show your love to Mother Nature this Earth Day

It's that time of year to honor Mother Nature in celebration of Earth Day.

Earth Day is celebrated April 22 and was established in 1970.

"Earth Day has grown to be one of the most widely celebrated events officially recognized by nearly all the world's countries," Dr. John Hasse, Rowan University Department of Geography & Environment chair, said Tuesday.

Earth Day was the result of growing awareness of the major impact that industrial society had on the global environment, according to Hasse.

"The first Earth Day was also related to the shifting vision of planet earth as the Apollo astronauts provided the first photographs of the whole earth in all of it's delicate beauty," Hasse said.

Earth is home, so why not take time to celebrate? Here are three ways you can get involved throughout the week in the celebration of our planet:

1.) Give back to the planet and partake in Arbor Day tree planting

Yes, Arbor Day and Earth Day are two separate things. But why not celebrate Earth Day by showing love to the trees?

"While Earth Day and Arbor Day are both about environment, Arbor Day is more specifically focused on the importance of planting trees and actually began in the early 1800s," Hasse said.

Arbor Day is Friday and there are several tree-planting events scheduled in Cumberland and Salem counties.

Millville Shade Tree Commission will host an Arbor Day tree-planting ceremony and park cleanup on Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Waltman Park, located on Route 49 and Brandriff Avenue.

For Salem County residents, Woodstown Open Space Committee, Shade Tree Committee, and Woodstown-Pilesgrove Joint Environmental Committee will hold an Arbor Day celebration at the borough's Memorial Lake.

Starting at 6 p.m., a proclamation will be read by the mayor and trees will be planted locally.

2.) Keep the earth healthy with simple, every day tasks

Shop in your own backyard. Instead of running to the nearest chain grocery store, stop by a local farm market and purchase your fresh, homegrown vegetables and fruits.

For example, buying locally produced foods and patronizing locally owned stores minimizes the amount of energy expended for production and helps to keep the local economy more vibrant, according to Hasse.

"Thinking about the ecological footprint of our day to day lives can motivate one to be more resourceful in choosing alternatives to things that have a large ecological impact," Hasse said.

During Earth Day, a small and practical thing to do is reflect on how everyday lives are connected to the earth's ecosystem.

Spend the day tracking down where everything used throughout the day was created, tracing it back to where raw materials came from, how much energy it took to make the item, ship it, and actually function.

Be mindful of recycling and trash separation. If trash is spotted while taking a walk, spare five seconds to pick it up and toss it in the nearest waste can.

Rutgers Professor of Geology Alexander Gates also suggested to avoid dumping liquids on the ground, rather if necessary, flush it down the toilet.

"We all live as one big system. If we start destroying parts of the earth, sooner or later it's going to come back to us," Gates said.

It's also important to try and stay away from spraying pesticides due to their poisons.

"We are having a real issue with the loss of bees and butterflies, which pollinate the plants. We have to try and save the pollinators. If not, we can't generate fruits and vegetables because there's not enough bees. That's even more urgent," Gates added.

Also, don't toss cigarette butts out the window or on the ground. Take a few extra steps and place it in an ashtray.

Save energy and in country settings, create a compost pile instead of dumping in a landfill.

Or, visit www.earthday.org and check out the "Billion Acts of Green Page" to take action on an international level.

3.) Attend an Earth Day event.

From clean-ups to festivals, areas throughout South Jersey will be the spot to go for any Earth Day events this week.

Not only can families and neighbors give back to the earth, but they can also have fun through these festivities.

Here are some spotlight events coming this weekend:

Cape May County will be the site for the Earth Day and Marine Debris Cleanup at the Nature Center of Cape May from 9 a.m to noon.

Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn about gardening and wildlife, as well as cleaning up the local gardens at the center along the harbor.

Cherry Hill, in Camden County, will be hosting the Sustainable Cherry Hill Earth Festival at Croft Farm from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Also, in Voorhees, an Earth Day kite flying even will be held at Eastern Regional High School from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Beach sweeps are also planned for various locations throughout South Jersey. For more information on Earth Day events,click here.

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Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@southjerseymedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.

Source: http://www.nj.com/salem/index.ssf/2015/04/3_ways_to_show_your_love_to_mother_nature_this_ear.html