April 22nd is known as Earth Day. Earth Day serves as a reminder to appreciate the beautiful planet we call home. It also serves as a reminder that we only have one earth, so it is important to take care of it the best we can. 

Earth Day was created in 1970 by a man named Gaylord Nixon. Nixon noticed there were no laws in place to protect our environment; factories could release harmful gas into the air and dump toxins into water bodies whenever they wanted. He created Earth Day to bring awareness to these issues and wanted them to reach the national agenda. 

There are many ways to help the earth and our environment. One way is to participate in garbage cleanups. You can participate in a highway ditch cleanup, pick up trash around your community, or even pick up trash anywhere you see it. 

You can reduce the amount of Earth’s resources you use along with waste you produce. Don’t leave water running unless you’re using it, and turn the lights off to let natural light in through the windows to conserve electricity.

Another way to help is to plant things. You can plant flowers to help the bees pollinate the earth. You can also plant trees to help keep earth’s air clean.

It is also important to recycle whenever possible. A third way to help the earth is to follow the three Rs; reduce, reuse, and recycle. Recycle cans, plastics, and paper products. Using a reusable water bottle instead of plastic bottles is another way to produce less waste. These are just a few of many ways to help protect the earth. It is important to protect and help the earth, not just on Earth Day, but every day.