For the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this year, we had big plans to celebrate with the community through an event and contest. We’ve postponed these plans to keep the community as safe as possible.
We may be physically distancing right now, but on Wednesday, April 22, and every day, we can still take action collectively.
Celebrating Earth Day at home
- Earth Day is a world-wide event, and this year it will have more digital events than ever
- Visit the NASA website for all kinds of fun Earth Day learning
The pandemic has shown us that collective action is possible. As we take this pause, what habits can we break and what new ones should we make for our future?
Do you want to make a difference?
Calculate your carbon footprint | Know what your impact is and see where you can improve.
Eat local fresh food | Visit a local farm stand.
Walk or bike as much as possible | The benefits of exercise as part of our daily lives are many! There’s never been a better time to get some exercise outdoors (just be sure to maintain physical distancing).
Shop local | Where possible, shop local and support our neighbours and economy. We are fortunate to have excellent business based on Central Saanich, including restaurants, breweries and wineries, chocolate shops, home improvement and a range of other businesses from home-based to large.
Plan a local destination for a future vacation | Even if you can’t book it yet, and support our local economy (and take fewer flights).
If you have a yard…
- Build a rain garden
- Create a drought-tolerant garden
- Compost at home
- Collect rainwater to use for irrigation
- Grow more fruits and veggies for yourself (and your neighbours!)
- Plant a tree
- Increase permeable surfaces, like soil and gravel, over hard surfaces such as concrete
Limit food and household waste | Here in the Capital Regional District, the average person produces 380 kg of garbage annually. We need to reduce to 250 kg per person to extend the life of the Hartland Landfill, which will be full by 2045 if we don't do something.
- Be mindful of what you purchase: think about the packaging, the materials and its lifespan
- Meal planning can save you money, time and waste.
- With many donation locations and recycling depots closed at the moment, temporarily label and store everything in one place so it will be easy to start recycling when the time is right.
- Install high efficiency showerheads and/or toilets
- Follow the CRD watering schedule
- Limit food waste
- Donate, recycle & compost
Celebrate with a selfie! Tag #CSaanClimate to show us what you're doing to help support climate action efforts.
Want to see what we're working on? Check out our Climate Action website: https://letstalkcentralsaanich.ca/climate