6 Fun Family Earth Day Activities

patio gaithersburg md

Enjoy These Family-Friendly Earth Day Activities Every Day

Although we consider every day to be earth day, the official Earth Day this year is set for April 22, 2021. Thankfully, there are plenty of Earth Day activities you can do with your family today, and every day.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First celebrated in 1970, it now includes events coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. This year marks the 50th anniversary!

This year seems like a particularly good opportunity to get out and make a difference for our planet. What better way to do so then to encourage children to do good deeds to help conserve earth and enjoy being outside in nature.

Plant A Tree

Planting a tree symbolizes hope and optimism. After all, it can take decades for a tree to mature from a seedling.

There are multiple good reasons to plant a tree.

The most obvious one is that trees are beautiful to look at. Whether the tree one chooses has colorful flowers, bears fruit, has brilliant fall color or interesting bark, trees are pretty to look at in all seasons.

Trees provide shade when it is hot. How delightful it is to sit under the shade of a tree on a hot day. Shading the south side of a house with a tree can result in saving money on the air conditioning bill.

Trees also produce oxygen, which we humans need to breathe. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year. A 100-foot tree, 18 inches diameter at its base, produces 6,000 pounds of oxygen. On average, one tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year. Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.

Go For A Hike

With the gyms closed and kids going stir crazy (not to mention parents), now is a great time to hit the trails. Besides working off excess energy, hiking in nature benefits the mind, body and soul. Among the many benefits, a vigorous hike can:

  • Lower your risk of heart disease
  • Improve your blood pressure and blood sugar levels
  • Boost bone density, since walking is a weight-bearing exercise
  • Build strength in your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and the muscles in your hips and lower legs
  • Strengthen your core
  • Improve balance
  • Help control your weight
  • Boost your mood.

Help Out Pollinators

No pollinators, no food. It is really that simple.

A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. When hearing the term “pollinator”, most people think of butterflies and bees but many animals are pollinators. Without pollinators, the plants that produce our food would not bear fruits and vegetables.

Worldwide there is disturbing evidence that pollinating animals have suffered from loss of habitat, chemical misuse, introduced and invasive plant and animal species, and diseases and parasites.

One of the best ways to help is to plant a pollinator garden. A pollinator garden is one which has many different flowering plants that attract pollinators. It is important to attract both butterflies and feed caterpillars. Using native plants is adventitious because they are used to the local climate and stand a better chance of thriving.

The really nice thing about pollinator gardens is not only are they beautiful, the butterflies, bees and birds they attract are also beautiful.

Grow Your Own Veggies

There is something satisfying in growing one’s own healthy food.

Consuming more fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy. When you pick vegetables right from your garden, the vitamin content will be at its highest. Also, you are reducing the risk of eating vegetables that contain harmful chemicals–you know exactly what you’re eating. In addition, getting kids involved in the gardening process will make it more likely for them to try the vegetables and develop healthy eating habits.

Not only is it one way of ensure your family eats healthier, it can save you money as well. It is possible to grow organic for a fraction of what the cost at the store.

Growing vegetables is also a great workout! Gardening is a physical activity and pulling weeds, planting, and digging can burn up to 400 calories per hour. Gardening is also a good mental exercise and helps keep your mind sharp. Nothing beats getting the heart rate up outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

Build A Compost Bin

If you are going to have a vegetable garden, or any garden for that matter, you need to compost. Composting provides a free source of nutrient rich soil that your plants are going to love. It also keeps unnecessary waste out of the landfill.

Organic wastes, such as food waste and yard waste, make up 25 to 50% of what people throw away. While you may not be able to compost all of the organic waste you generate, composting can significantly cut down on your overall trash.

Composting at home not only keeps the material out of the landfill; it keeps the material from being transported too! Because many organic wastes contain a lot of water, they are some of the heaviest wastes. Not transporting these heavy wastes saves fuel and energy.

Make A Bat Box

Bats are our friends despite their bad image.

Having bats around can mean a reduction in mosquitoes. Some bat species eat an incredible number of night-flying insects including mosquitoes. By some accounts, they can eat as many as 1,200 insects in an hour of feeding!

Bats are also important pollinators of many of the plants that we eat and, as we have already discussed, increasing pollinators is very critical. Many bats also help disperse seeds, increasing overall plant populations.

Building bat houses is simple (there are many plans available online) and a great activity to do with children.

199

Allentuck Landscaping Co. is Your Residential Landscape Company

Phone: 301-515-1900 Email: info@allentucklandscaping.com

At Allentuck Landscaping Company, our mission is to create beautiful environments for people to enjoy. We see landscaping as a way to improve people’s lives.

The Allentuck Landscaping Company team has been a leading landscape company in Montgomery County, Maryland for over 28 years with our turnkey approach to landscape design, installation, construction and maintenance. Most companies try to serve many types of customers at the same time; homeowners, shopping centers, office buildings and the list goes on. At Allentuck Landscaping Co., we focus on one customer, you, the homeowner. We have a singular focus on bringing you the best landscape practices, the best customer service, and the best value for your home.

Services Provide – Master Landscape Plans, Complete Maintenance Programs, Plantings, Patios, Walkways, Retaining Walls, Water Features, Outdoor Lighting, Outdoor Kitchens, Trellises & Pergolas, Irrigation Systems, Drainage Solutions, Grading & Sodding. Fire Pits & Fire Places, Spring Clean Ups, Decks, Fences, Mosquito & Tick Control, Deer Control.

Areas Served – Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville, North Potomac, Darnestown, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Damascus, Boyds, Clarksburg, Ijamsville, Urbana, Frederick in Maryland and Washington DC.

Why Now Is the Time to Book Landscape Cleanup & Maintenance Services

In Need of Landscape Cleanup & Maintenance Services? Book Before Calendars Fill As the winter weather begins to thaw, spring is approaching. And while spring may be the time for cleaning your house, the tail end of winter is the best time to book landscape cleanup and maintenance services. Winter leaves behind debris and will typically leave your landscaping and lawn looking a bit ragged. Not only that, but there’s quite a bit of preparation that must be completed to

READ MORE »

5 Essential Elements for an Amazing Outdoor Design

Insights Into How To Create An Amazing Outdoor Design Quality outdoor design can transform your outdoor space into a captivating oasis involves a careful blend of design elements that cater to both aesthetics and functionality. From the warmth of a fire pit to the allure of outdoor lighting, the freshness of greenery, the comfort of shade under a pergola, and the practicality of an outdoor kitchen, these five components can turn any yard into a haven for relaxation and entertainment.

READ MORE »

7 Front Walkway Ideas To Make Your Home More Welcoming

These Front Walkway Ideas Will Make You Glad To Come Home Making your home feel brand new can be as simple as updating the curb appeal. At Allentuck Landscaping, we’ve designed and installed a variety of front walkways over the years, and today we’ve gathered a few of our favorites to showcase. Each walkway features a unique pattern or material combination. We hope these front walkway ideas spark some brilliant ideas inside of you, and, of course, we hope you

READ MORE »

Project Spotlight: Contemporary Outdoor Living Spaces with a Pool

See How the Allentuck Team Transformed This Longtime Client’s Home Over Many Years At Allentuck Landscaping Company, we love nothing more than to bring our client’s ultimate vision to life. This has led to our team putting together numerous beautiful outdoor living spaces, many complete with a pool, fire elements, water features, custom plant installations, and much more. We started our Project Spotlights series to share some of our favorite projects here on our blog—and today’s project is one of

READ MORE »

6 Wonderful Plants For A Deer Resistant Screen

Got deer and need screening? Here is a list of 6 wonderful plants for a deer resistant screen. Whether you’re looking to block off an ugly view, dampen noise pollution, or you simply desire some solitude, sometimes you just need a bit more privacy. There are many natural ways to enclose your property that are both visually pleasing and effective. These 6 plants are great screening options, even if you have deer! Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) A slender, conical conifer

READ MORE »

Why Now Is the Time to Start Your Landscape Design and Construction Project

The Winter Months Are Perfect for Planning Your Landscape Design and Construction Project With January as our coldest month here in the DC Metro, chances are spending time outside is the farthest thing from your mind. What may surprise you, though, is that now is actually a great time to be thinking about landscape design and construction, as the winter months are the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the curve. At Allentuck Landscaping Company, we specialize in developing beautiful,

READ MORE »