Growing up in Los Angeles, brownish gray air was a part of our daily lives. I remember struggling to breathe like most asthmatic kids through the haze. It is hard to believe conditions were worse before Senator Gaylord Nelson created the first Earth Day in 1970. Imagine how bad things would be today before this worthy cause was brought to national attention. Yet the battle still rages on.
In the spirit of continuing the good fight for our planet, we ask that you join us in celebrating Earth Day 2013!
Earth Day is Monday, April 22nd. Like most of you, we work on Monday but that isn’t going to stop us from helping clean our communities along with our precious planet. We’re throwing out a challenge to YOU! (Yes, you!) Not only the Echelon but anyone who cares about the planet. We are asking you to donate the most precious thing you can offer… your time!
There are many ways to celebrate the day: by volunteering to help clean your community, beautify a retirement home, remove graffiti from school for example. Or better yet, get creative and find a way that is meaningful to you! No matter how you participate, this is a great chance for you to have a positive impact on this planet.
Ideas for Earth Day challenge:
- Contacting companies to request that they stop sending you junk mail. It will reduce the carbon emissions from the manufacturing and mailing the items to your mailbox as well as saving trees.
- Help explore the ocean floor or take a peek into the health of the world by counting bats! You can help with classifying the weather or help find a cure for cancer!
- Organize or volunteer at a group that focuses on environmental causes in your community. Help plant trees, clean up parks, help beautify schools, brighten up a retirement home, pick up trash from the shores/forests/parks, volunteer at local animal shelters to walk dogs etc.
Ideas for Earth Day activities:
- LA – Heal the Bay’s Nothing But Sand (Saturday, April 20th) Santa Monica. If we can get 10 people to confirm prior to the event then we can submit an official Echelon Team
- LA – Tree People.org Angeles Forest Restoration (Saturday, April 20th & Sunday, April 21st) Coldwater Canyon, CA
- LA – Tree People.org Santa Monica Mountains Restoration (Saturday, April 27th) Coldwater Canyon, CA
- NYC – NYC Parks Reforestation Day (Saturday, April 27th) (waiting for release onto website on 4-1-13)
- NYC – New York Cares (Saturday, April 20th)
Whether cleaning your community or clicking away to help count bats or if you come up with a better idea, please remember to take pictures and share! Get creative with how you document your participation and email your pictures to EchelonDonates@gmail.com (and include your Twitter name please).
No money is needed to join in this cause: just your time! However, if you choose to do so, please support organizations from our previous projects Waves 4 Water or Trees For The Future. Remember to forward your donation confirmation to EchelonDonates@gmail.com to have a special note included on the card.
Get those ideas flowing and let us know you are with us!
- Visit our Facebook event page to create or join a team for your town.
- Alicia (@IAm_ECHELON/@NYC_ECHELON) will be the team captain this time for one or both of the Earth Day events for NYC. There will also be a Street Team Assault to promote Love Lust Faith + Dreams on both days.
- Shannon (@smmoyer69) is leading a team for cleaning up the Perkiomen Creek Watershed, PA.
We will be updating the teams as more come forward. Start a team in your town/country today! Tweet us to ask how.
