In this post, a few moms from the Duluth Mom contributor team share how they are good friends to Mother Earth on a regular basis – we hope their words inspire you to befriend Mother Earth outside of Earth Day!
Friend of Mother Earth: Laura
Our family talks quite a lot about how we can better care for Mother Earth. Our children (who are 4 and 6) will stop wherever we are and point out when they spot “trash hurting her”. This means that we chase down a lot of trash, so we do our best to remember to have bags with us when we go on walks or hikes so we can clean up as we explore. Last year we participated in the Keep Duluth Clean city-wide clean-up. We plan to get out again this year on April 23rd for the KDC Spring Cleanup 2022.
Friend of Mother Earth: Andrea
Friend of Mother Earth: Kristina
As Kristina was doing some spring cleaning in her garage she also noticed many items that she no longer needed, but some were toxic or hazardous and did not belong in a landfill as they could be harmful to the environment. She researched how to properly dispose of household items and created a guide for you! Read the full guide here: A Guide to Responsibly Disposing of Household Items
Kristina has also learned many facts about plastic waste in our world. She reached out to two Northland women who aim to inspire us all to reduce the amount of waste we generate, hoping to learn more about how she could reduce her use of plastics. April Hepokoski and Joanna Nelson have teamed up to educate others on how to transition to zero waste living through their Facebook group Zero Waste Duluth. Read Kristina’s full interview with April and Joanna in her blog post here: Simple Tips for Transitioning to a Zero Waste Lifestyle
Friend of Mother Earth: Carli
Opening my eyes to the fact that a large portion of what we buy ends up being tossed (whether that’s the packaging it arrived in, or after it’s served its purpose or breaks) made me look at what I consume in a new light before I click add to cart. What started as an awareness of my own wasteful habits turned into what some might consider an obsession to find creative ways to reuse.
It’s so easy to throw it in the trash- out of sight, out of mind- but the puzzle of figuring out what to do with a popped kiddie pool or the innards of a Hello Fresh box is way more rewarding.
Just don’t let the big stuff stop you in your tracks. Little actions add up! And everyone doing something little is far more effective than one person doing it all perfectly.
How are you a friend of Mother Earth? Share in the comments!
