April 22nd marks the 50th annual Earth Day! In Vancouver, our earth-loving residents usually celebrate with the Commercial Drive Earth Day Parade and Festival, which has understandably been cancelled. Instead, we’re giving you top tips and ideas for celebrating Earth Day from home.
1. Make your outdoor space wildlife-friendly
If you are blessed with a balcony, patio or garden, consider making it an oasis for wildlife. Simple actions can encourage wildlife to come visiting. Here are some ideas:
- Hang a bird feeder
- Installing a birdhouse
- Make a birdbath
- Make an insect hotel
- Plant bee-attracting wildflowers
2. Eat organic, eat local, and/or eat in season
Food production degrades soil quality and puts biodiversity at risk, but organic produce can alleviate some of these pressures on the earth. Local produce, that is grown seasonally, will be much fresher than food that has travelled a long distance, and will also contribute less greenhouse gas emissions due to shorter transportation journey.
- Vancouver Farmers Markets are an essential service, bringing food to the tables of Vancouver communities. Right now, they are open and ready to bring local produce to your kitchen, with in-person markets and online services.
- Vancouver Foodie Tours has set-up a service so that you can get some of Granville Island Market’s locally-made and sourced products delivered to your door.
- Nuba, one of Vancouver’s many restaurants that work with local and organic foods, has created an all-vegan at home meal-kit.
3. Learn about climate change and sustainable development
Ted 2020, usually held annually in Vancouver, has been cancelled. In its place, TED is publishing plenty of content and refreshing our feeds with past talks, such as these 10 TEDWomen talks for Earth Day.
