April 22nd marks Earth Day!
But what is Earth Day? Earth day is not a recent invention. It was first held on April 22, 1970 and according to Wikipedia, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by Earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme by Earthday.org for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics”.
Did you know that the first ever Canadian Earth Day was started in 1980 right here in Kingston by a student from Queen’s University? *
Many conservation areas and community-access trails will host volunteer-led clean up initiatives throughout the month of April – this is a great opportunity for families and communities to get together to clean up public spaces.
While there are many events and celebrations taking place across Kingston to recognize our commitment to clean and sustainable communities, there are many fun (and safe!) ways to contribute within your own space.
What you can do to contribute
You don’t have to travel far to take part in Earth Day initiatives – take a look around your own neighbourhood or your favourite park. As always, remember to practice safe clean-up by utilizing garbage bags and gloves. Children can take part safely by finding garbage for an adult to collect safely or by utilizing a fun and inexpensive garbage grabber! Use these initiatives as a learning opportunity – teach your children about the difference between garbage and recycling and the importance of keeping our communities clean for the families and animals that live there.
Our staff at the MFRC will be out and about on the base to do our part and collect garbage – we hope to see you around the neighbourhood!
Earth Day: April 22nd
Earth Hour: Don’t worry if you missed International Earth Hour, that took place on March 23rd from 8:30pm – 9:30pm. You and your family can regularly contribute to climate change by turning your electronics and electricity off in your home for an hour, half an hour or however long you chose, whenever you chose to.