April 22nd is Earth Day and there are plenty of simple ways that you can celebrate right here in the neighborhood!
Pro-pollination Planting
Without pollination, we wouldn’t have fruits and vegetables! Bring native bees and other pollinating creatures to your garden. How do you do that? By putting out the right kind of plants! To attract butterflies, plant these! For hummingbirds, these! You can even make your garden bee-friendly! Cedar Grove Gardens can help!
Clean Up
It’s great to see so many people using our parks and beaches. Know what’s not good? The litter left behind. We all need to do better. Pick up our trash and put it into trash barrels. If there are no barrels at the park or beach, bring your poop bag or trash home and throw it in your own trash barrel. Sweep the streets in front of your homes and businesses. If you see trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it away. Easy peasy! You can also sign up and/or organize neighborhood cleanups too!
Create your own Garden
The Boston Public Library would like to help you create your own garden! Grow your own vegetable, herbs and flowers! You can pick up free seeds at participating branches! Get the details here.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Have you seen the recycling dropboxes in the the neighborhood? For residents looking to drop off their household textiles, including clothes, shoes, sneakers, bags, stuffed animals, bedding and towels, those items must be dry and placed into a secured plastic bag. You can find Dorchester Drop Boxes at the following addresses!
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191 Adams Street, Dorchester
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20 Georgia Street, Dorchester
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575 Washington Street, Dorchester
Covet is also a great spot to shop recycled fashion. You can also consign items from your closet which is also helping the earth!
General recycling – City of Boston has handy dandy blue bins/barrels for recycling with curbside pick up. You can visit here for what you can recycle, how to get rid of hazardous wastes, and how to request a recycling container!
Earth Day Party at Franklin Park Zoo
It’s the annual Earth Day celebration at Franklin Park Zoo! Spend a fun and engaging day connecting with nature and learning about important conservation work underway right here in eastern Massachusetts and across the globe. Talk to local environmental organizations and non-profits and learn how you can contribute to a healthy ecosystem and preserve our planet! You can learn more here!
Shop Locally
Not only will you be supporting our community’s local economy, but you will also be helping the environment as well by saving gas. Walk there and bring your own bag!
Ride the T, Bike or Walk
Leave the car at home and save your parking space in the process. Save money, burn some calories, cut down on the road rage. Enough said.
Do a little bird watching
Take a walk in our parks or along the beach and look for some birds! Think bird watching is boring? Think again! And finding birds beyond a pigeon and a common sparrow just takes looking out your window or a walk around the block. Enjoy our beginner’s bird watching guide!
How will you celebrate Earth Day?
Maureen Dahill is the editor of Caught in Southie and a lifelong resident of South Boston sometimes mistaken for a yuppie. Co-host of Caught Up, storyteller, lover of red wine and binge watching TV series. Mrs. Peter G. Follow her @MaureenCaught.
Shopping at SUPPLY Bulk Foods, in Dorchester, will eliminate plastics from your groceries which is healthier and better for the planet!