A Cause to Celebrate:  Ideas for Earth Day!

People like to find reasons celebrate. And why not? We live on a beautiful planet with interesting things happening every day, and more frequent celebrations mean that we can have things like cake and ice cream more often, which in my opinion, are always welcome!

This celebratory side to humans is evidenced in the sheer number of holidays we have throughout the year – and really obscure ones, too. Did you know, for example, that January 21st is “Squirrel Appreciation Day?” Or that March 3rd is “What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day?” How about that July 27th is “Take your Houseplant for a Walk Day?”

While these are all very fun, they don’t exactly inspire me to take a fresh perspective on life (apologies to all the squirrel-lovers out there). That is why I am excited about Earth Day – April 22nd. This is a day made especially for recognizing the flowers, taking an inventory of the little things you can do that make a big difference (I encourage you to check out Team Earth’s DO More/DO Less challenge), and connecting you with people all across the country to take action. It can be as simple as changing out your light bulbs for compact fluorescents or turning your school into a “No Idling Zone.” (More cool ideas here!)

I think famous anthropologist, Margaret Mead, best summarizes the significance of Earth Day:

“EARTH DAY is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space.”

And I bet after that speech she ate some cake.

If you live in Missoula and would like to help EPI during Missoula’s Earth Day celebration, please email me or call (406) 721-8784.