Earth Day

April 22nd is Earth Day and with lockdowns going on due to the Covid-19 virus, we are left to find creative ways to celebrate. First, we have to think about the limitations of a lockdown and what we could do to help from home. We may be able to take nature walks around the neighborhood but in order to really stay safe, I recommend something at home or in your backyard if you have one.

Banner from Earthday.org

Of course there is also the kind act of making a donation to a supporting charity but with so little activity going on right now (and little work), I was thinking of ways to inspire you on making your environment a priority.

Feed the butterflies and bees

Image from Newsweek.com via Getty Images

For the past few years, we have been on a journey to preserve the life of bees due to them dying off from pesticide usage and lack of preservation of their environments. Most people fear them for their sting but bees can be quite gentle if you don't agitate them. The truth is, we need bees for pollination. According to the Green Peace website,

"Honey bees, wild and domestic, perform about 80% of all pollination worldwide. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Grains are primarily pollinated by the wind, but fruits, nuts and vegetables are pollinated by bees. 70 out of the top 100 human food crops, which supply about 90% of the world’s nutrition, are pollinated by bees."

Image from PE.com

Butterflies are another insect that help with pollination. The number in Monarch butterflies have decreased dramatically since 2014 which was noted during their annual migration from Mexico to Canada. This statement coming from the Save Our Monarchs website, shows the responsibility we as humans have in their decline.

"In early 2014, monarch butterflies were found in only 1.7 acres -- compared to a high of 45 acres in 1996."

The cause for this dramatic decrease in population comes from the lack of the milkweed plant. The milkweed plant is the only plant caterpillars will eat and butterflies will lay eggs on. Due to the weed-like look of the plant, most people cut it down or plowed over it for soybean and corn crops. If there are no milkweed plants, then there will be no monarchs.

What you can do!

You can plant a bee and butterfly garden! If you don't have a garden, then maybe you can use some planters for your porch or patio! (Pinterest has a million ideas)

For a Bee garden, plant:

-Peonies

-Lavender

-Milkweed

-Bee balm

-Zinnias

-Marigolds

-Mint

-Sage

For a Butterfly garden, plant:

-Milkweed

-Bee balm

-Petunia

-Sunflower

-Zinnia

-Violet

-Cornflower

-African Daisy

You can also go to Amazon.com and type in seeds for butterflies and bees and usually you can find a mix of seeds for both so all you have to do is order and have a planting party! Then in a few weeks, you start to see the fruits of your labor! If you planted any of the herbs, you get harvest some and use for cooking! So it's really a win win situation. If you don't have a garden then it's the perfect time to spruce up your patios with hand painted pots. Also, it's a great way to get the kids involved and it technically counts as science class!

Purchase this Pollinator Pack HERE

Happy Earth Day and let me know what you are planting! If this doesn't pan out, you can always try the meatless challenge for a month and save a few animals and energy (on your part and the environment's).

With Love,

Micole Elise