Close your eyes. Inhale. Exhale.
Now open them, and take a look around where we live. Surrounded by mountains, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and national parks, we are truly lucky to reside in one of the most beautiful places.
This Earth Day, let’s think about our spectacular home. Encompassed by all of the awesome beauty, we should remember that we all have to do our part to keep it beautiful.
In the past year, the world has seen the explosion of the plastic straw expulsion, and even a handful of restaurants in Golden have stopped serving beverages with plastic straws. This is an amazing and easy way to cut down on some of the waste that we produce, but there are many other ways to cut back. Going to the grocery store? Bring a reusable bag. Or, leave a box in your vehicle, and load everything into it after you check out. It might be an extra trip back to the store to return your cart or basket, but a little extra effort goes a long way.
Another trend taking off all over the world is the #Trashtag. Groups of people and individuals go out into a littered area, and clean it up, posting before and after photos on social media. Some people in our community have joined in on the healthy trend, and I personally hope to see a lot more. There are many areas around Golden that are affected by careless trash discarded along roadways, in parks, and along the rivers.
On Earth Day, April 22, Wildsight Golden is hosting its annual Community Clean Up and potluck at Reflection Lake. At 5 p.m., people are invited to bring their favourite potluck dish to share, and are asked to bring their own plates, cutlery, and mugs. Wildsight Golden will provide hot and cold drinks, garbage bags, and wash-up water for the event.
A couple days later, the Interact Club of Golden is hosting a Trashion Show for kids in Grades 4 to 7, encouraging them to make art or costumes out of 100 per cent recycled materials. The costumes will be judged by key community leaders for the chance to win great prizes.
These groups, and more, are working to encourage people of all ages to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and make our community a better, cleaner, and prettier place to live, work, and play. We wouldn’t want to swim in polluted lakes, or hike garbage-littered trails. So, we can all do our part to make sure they remain clean. It starts by packing in what you pack out, never leaving any trace, picking up leftover garbage from others, and reducing our carbon footprint.
If you or someone you know is doing something proactive for Earth Day and our community, please e-mail us at editor@thegoldenstar.net.
