The Park District of Franklin Park held another successful Earth Day Celebration outdoors at North Park. This family event featured many aspects such as District 84 students, interactive booths, nature, crafts and games. Community members explored the nature garden and learned how to keep our earth clean.
We had over 20 vendors this year who taught attendees about their organizations. Boy Scout Troop 158 had a planting station and the Park District’s Preschool ran a craft table for younger children. The Park District of Franklin Park was proud to provide reusable bags for everyone as they arrived. We also had children assist with our ceremonial tree planting.
Earth Day is not the only day we should be thinking green though. It is part of the Park District’s mission to educate our community on environmental concerns. There are many ways we can stay green year-round that go beyond recycling.
Repurposing glass jars and plastic containers for bulk storage is one way of going green. The same can be done with water bottles by purchasing ones you can refill. By reusing these items, there is less of a need to manufacture new ones and less materials in landfills, parks and streams.
Energy efficient light bulbs, like LEDs, are an effective way to save energy. Believe it or not, LED light bulbs use 90% less energy than traditional bulbs. Using your power is not always necessary if you can take advantage of natural light. Not only does daylight save energy, but it also has health benefits such as boosting your body’s vitamin D storage.
Lastly, you should consider bringing your own bags to the grocery store. Reusable bags have various uses and are a greener option than plastic bags, which can take up to 1,000 years to decompose!
We encourage you to stay green all year long and share your environmentally friendly habits with us!