Earth Day is something many community members live by every day

The Melville Koppies and Alberts Farm are two examples of green open spaces in the city which are diligently cared for by committed volunteers.

Wendy Carstens, chair of the Melville Koppies management committee says, “Green spaces provide important areas for exercise, relaxation, meditation, mental health and destressing. The richness of green spaces is important for early childhood development as they offer an essential break from the hi-tech world many kids are continually exposed to.”

She and many other volunteer custodians of public parks, nature reserves and other green spaces are keenly aware of their importance in a bustling city. The Community Cleaners, for example, will often clean a park and discover the same green space is defiled just days later in a never-ending destructive cycle.

This Earth Day is celebrated every April 22, and this year’s tagline is, “A reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future.”

The first Earth Day was in 1970. The theme this year is plastic. “We must be unwavering in our commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.”

Read more: 90% of a Volvo truck can be recycled

Keeping green belts clean is an ongoing and never-ending task for community members who clean plastics and other waste from public spaces.

INFO BOX

How much disposable plastic we use

Billions upon billions of items of plastic waste choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers, and piling up on land are more than unsightly and harmful to plants and wildlife.

The following facts shed light on how plastic is proving dangerous to our planet, health, and wildlife.

• Global plastics have reached an estimated 460 million metric tonnes in recent years.
• It is estimated that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic are currently in our oceans.
• An estimated 9.7 billion cigarette butts are littered in the US every year and comprise nearly 20% of all litter.
• Of the plastic that has ever been made, 79% still sits in landfills or the natural environment (except the small volume that has been incinerated or recycled)
• When plastics end up in landfills, they aren’t harmless. They break down into tiny toxic particles that contaminate the soil and waterways and enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them.

Read more: Recycled egg carton craft your child will love making

INFO BOX
Ideas for parents

Fostering responsibility, consideration, and success in our children is a shared aspiration. Observing Earth Day as a family provides an opportunity to instil values of nature and sustainability in your child’s identity.

• Engage in meaningful conversation
  Talk about sustainable living and together identify ways to enhance your family’s eco-conscious practices.
• Implement changes
  Embark on a journey of positive change like joining local clean-up efforts or assisting those who maintain public parks or nature reserves.
• Pollinator garden
  Cultivate a pollinator garden and create a delightful and educational outdoor activity that looks beautiful and which will support the hardest working insects on the planet – our pollinators
• Plastic calculator
  A plastic calculator can be used to explore ways your family can actively reduce plastic consumption.

Visit: Earthday.org

INFO BOX
Easy ways to support Earth Day principles

• Pick up trash while you run or walk.
• Organise a community clean-up.
• Switch to reusable bags.
• Learn how to compost from food scraps.
• Introduce Earth Day to your community.
• Buy local food.
• Eat less meat.
• Grow your own veggies.
• Use a reusable water bottle.
• Skip plastic – use glass or paper products.
• Switch off lights when not in use.
• Join a volunteer group caring for the environment.

Information sourced from Earthday.org

Related article: Recycled tin can crafts and projects