Count Down to Earth Day 2023

The 53rd Annual Earth Day is quickly approaching! Although late April is a little too warm for us to plant trees here in Charlotte, there are tons of other rewarding activities you can do with friends, family, neighborhoods, or alone that will make a positive impact on our little corner of the planet. Check out all the ways you can improve our local ecosystem this Earth Day.

Tangle with invasives: Invasive vines like English ivy, kudzu, Japanese honeysuckle, and Japanese wisteria threaten the health of our large trees and overall ecology. These vines should be removed and replaced with native vines or groundcover. This activity can be physically intensive, but it’s a great way to blow off some steam while helping the environment! Check out our feature in the Scoop to learn more about how to remove invasive English ivy and what to plant in its place.

Go meatless (or at least beefless): 85% of deforestation is caused by industrial agriculture, and the vast majority of that impact is caused meat, particularly beef, farming. Beef alone is the #1 cause of deforestation in Latin America. By limiting (or eliminating) our consumption of beef, we can help protect these rich, biodiverse forests that provide clean air, clean water, medicine, and food for wildlife and people alike. Read more about the subject here.

Pick up litter and reduce single-use plastic and paper: This one is pretty self explanatory. Globally, we produce 400 million tons of plastic waste each year, which makes its way into our streams, forests, oceans, and other natural spaces and threatens their integrity. A lot of the paper towels and toilet paper we use comes from old growth boreal forests. Think about ways you can reduce waste in your home– carry a reusable water bottle with you, purchase foods that aren’t wrapped in plastic, use rags and cloths instead of paper towels, and buy wood products that are FSC certified!

Be bee-utiful and help our pollinators: We own our lives to pollinators! We rely on bees for about 1 in 3 bites of food we take, and other pollinators like butterflies, wasps, hummingbirds, and bats give us beautiful flowers and many fruits that bees do not pollinate. The best way to support pollinators is to plant native plants in your landscape. You can find a list of what to plant HERE! You can also build a bee water fountain or insect hotel!

EARTH DAY SCAVENGER HUNT! Complete all 3 sheets and send a photo to info@treescharlotte.org to receive TreesCharlotte laptop stickers.

Leaf Collection Scavenger Hunt

Seed Pods and Cones Activity 

Life in Tree Death Activity