Earth Day is tomorrow, the day after Easter Sunday. This feels very profound to me this year as there was a large push within The Episcopal Church, my church, toward reconciliation in matters of race, social justice and the care of creation. In fact, our entire Lenten season was dedicated to Creation Care and matters of eco-justice. So it seems wildly wonderful to me that Earth Day falls on the day after Easter. That is my own personal intersection with our faith and family, but obviously this work in celebrating and conservation has been being done by parents, Waldorf Schools, wildschoolers, and environmentally-conscious homeschoolers for a long time. Every day is Earth Day! If you would like to see more about that perspective from the Waldorf School movement, I suggest this brief article about this history of Earth Day in the Waldorf Schools.
I think as parents we are at the forefront of the environmental movement as we train the next generation of leaders through our example. Here are some of my favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day every day:
- Storytelling stories of good creation, of the wisdom of the plants and animals
- Making useful products from herbs and plants – tinctures to natural dyes and more
- Gardening and composting
- Planting trees
- Spending time in nature without agenda
- Camping, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing
- Conserving our own resources – reduce, recycle, reuse
- Buying locally and sustainably
- Handmaking things as much as possible
- Living simply
- Eating organically and using organic household items for laundry and hygiene
- Looking for companies with sustainable packaging or better yet, stores and companies that are going zero waste
- Letting children get dirty outside
- Introducing children to naturalists, biologists, and environmental innovators through biography
- For homeschooling parents and classroom teachers, making nature studies a vast and wide part of the educational experience
Tell me your favorite ways to celebrate Earth Day every day!
Blessings and love,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
Understanding a right relationship of man and animal in nature has been a major focus for us. The impact of modern animal agriculture on the environment is out of control. We have stepped out of that loop by adopting a plant-based diet and using products that are free from animal-derived ingredients (plus never tested on animals).
We also try to minimize our use of fossil fuels by combining errands for fewer car trips, walking, and being mindful of our gas/electric usage.
Along with gardening and composting, as you mentioned, we work hard at building soil healthy soil on our property. Not just for our own personal use but for the future and for all of nature. Biodynamic preparations, composting, and strategic planting are a big part of that.
I love all of that; thank you for sharing. ❤ Blessings and love, Carrie