Earth Day 2023 will be celebrated on Saturday, April 22. This year’s theme is a continuation of the 2022 theme “Invest in Our Planet.” The theme is focused on engaging governments, institutions, businesses, and the more than 1 billion citizens who participate annually in Earth Day to do their part – everyone accounted for, everyone accountable. 

EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide. Growing out of the first Earth Day in 1970, EARTHDAY.ORG is the world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement, working with more than 150,000 partners in over 192 countries to drive positive action for our planet. 

In addition to highlighting our  Environment Cause Area this month we will be celebrating Global Youth Service Day (GYSD).  Global Youth Service Day is the largest youth service and civic action event in the world and the only one that celebrates and builds the capacity of all youth ages 5-25 to help our communities and democracy thrive by working together for the common good (https://ysa.org/campaigns/gysd/).  This year GYSD is celebrated April 28 – 30. Please check back soon for more details on projects.

The Big Trees Forest Preserve is a beautiful, unique 30-acre Fulton County Tree, Plant and Wildlife Sanctuary. Pebble Tossers partners with the Big Trees Forest Preserve to provide volunteers on the second Saturday of each month to help preserve the forest.  Click here for more information and to register for the April 8th event. 

Do you love to be outdoors and learn about plants, gardening and nature? Friends of Lost Corner (FOLC) is a non-profit group created in conjunction with the City of Sandy Springs to help make the Lost Corner Preserve, a beautiful 24 acre preserve and usable recreation area for residents to enjoy. They host volunteer workdays on the second Saturday of the month. Click here for details and to register to volunteer. 

The Atlanta BeltLine is a sustainable redevelopment project and one of the largest urban redevelopment programs in the United States. Join us on the 3rd Saturday of every month to beautify our adopted section of the BeltLine.  Click here to register to volunteer and for more information. Haven’t joined Pebble Tossers yet?  Join us on April 16 to learn more about Pebble Tossers and volunteer with us.

Chattahoochee Riverkeeper is excited to announce the first annual Waterfest this Earth Day! Attendees will enjoy live music while enjoying fun, food, drinks, an Environmental Expo, a rain barrel art auction, and family-friendly activities. They need volunteers to help with photography, recycling crew, exhibitor assistance, set-up, and clean-up.

April 22nd – Multiple Shifts
Sign-Up Here

Free Bikes 4 Kidz is a nonprofit organization geared toward helping kids ride into a happier and healthier childhood by providing bikes to those most in need. They need volunteers to clean, prep, and repair bikes while having a great experience at their warehouse. Volunteers must be 12+ for this opportunity.

April 22nd, 12:30 – 2:30pm
Sign-Up Here

Click here for 52 actions and tips to invest in the Earth each day of the year.

Communities for Recycling, is a national initiative, led by The Recycling Partnership, to increase recycling, protecting our planet by collecting more recyclables and using fewer natural resources. Click here to learn more about recycling activities.

Below is a list of ways we can conserve resources and minimize our environmental impact along the way. 

• Set your ceiling fan to spin counterclockwise to blow rising hot air back down towards you. (Energy.gov) 
• Turn the thermostat back 10-15° F for eight hours when you’re asleep or out of the house. If you do the same in the summer (backing off the a/c) you can save around 10% per year on your heating and cooling bills. 
• Wash dishes in an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher instead of by hand to cut utility bills. Run full loads as much as possible. 
• Switch the five most frequently used lights or bulbs in your home for ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR label, and you can save about $45 each year. 
• Cutting it close? Raise the blade on your mower to let the longer blades of grass shade each other. Aside from cutting down on weeds, this shade reduces evaporation from the plants, meaning the lawn requires less watering from you.
• When it’s time to replace an item in your home, consider buying used! There are many attractive vintage items available for purchase, and opting to reuse rather than buy new reduces the amount of waste that will need to be send to landfills.
• Don’t drive aggressively! On top of being unsafe, speeding, rapid acceleration, and sharp braking waste gas, thus lowering the car’s gas mileage by 15-30% at highway speeds. 
• Regularly clean and replace your cooling unit’s air filter to lower the unit’s energy consumption by 5-15%. This is the quickest way to save energy on home cooling!
• Skip the line at the drive-through. If you’re idling your car for more than 10 seconds, you’re likely using more fuel than you would to turn the engine off and restart it. Instead, park the car and head inside.
• Walk or bike to school if possible, or ride the bus instead of driving. If driving is necessary, create a neighborhood carpool! Not headed to school?Consider using mass transit to get to where you need to go.
• Up for a challenge? Calculate your water footprint and get ideas for reducing your water use at home. See if you can conserve enough water to beat the national average of water use!
• Think beyond paper and plastic. If you have old electronics on your hands, look for local recycling options. Many electronics stores will accept old computers, phones, appliances, and television sets to recycle for free.

Source:https://www.neefusa.org/weather-and-climate/weather/resolve-save-home-and-beyond

Live Thrive Atlanta: Working to create a community that cares about a healthy and sustainable environment.

Where to Composite in Georgia: A city by city list of composting locations.