My Favorite Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is on April 22, and classrooms are busy with activities to express their appreciation of our earth and sharing what people can do to bring awareness and action in saving our earth. The theme for this year's Earth Day is Trees for the Earth.  The goal is to plant 7.8 billion trees.

According to the Earth Day Network:

1. Trees fight climate change by absorbing harmful CO2. 
2. Trees clean the air by absorbing odors and harmful gases.
3. Trees help our communities environmentally and economically by providing food, income, and energy.

Here are some ideas for Earth Day 2016.

- Visit a local Nursery
Take you class on a field trip to a local nursery to learn more about trees and plants. If you're unable to go, ask a representative to visit your class. I'm sure you'll have no problem getting a speaker. Your students can ask great questions about the best trees to be panted in your area, the best time to plant, and where and how to plant a tree.

- Give Your Students a Seedling or Cutting
We have a fig tree in our back yard. This tree is a cutting from my husband's grandfather's fig tree. His tree was a cutting from a fig tree on a family member's farm in Sicily. Our tree is so special to our family because it represents my husband's heritage. Every summer, we pick figs off the tree and make fig preserves.

Instead of having to purchase small pots for the seedlings or cuttings, just buy a box of ice cream cones at the grocery. Students can actually plant these into the ground because they're biodegradable.

- Plant a Tree at School
After your visit at the nursery, find out what would be the best tree to plant at your school. The nursery may even donate a seedling. Believe it or not, your students will remember the class tree. Plant the tree as a special memory for your class. When I drive by my former school, I always look for the tree my students planted. It blooms every spring.

- Go on a Nature Hunt
Take your students on a nature hunt around your campus. I found a great app called LeafSnap that students can use in groups to identify plants and trees. If students don't know the name of a tree or plant, just use the app to take a photo. Then, match the photo with the correct plant or tree.

More Earth Day Activities
For more ideas for your classroom on Earth Day, just visit my TPT store.