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Five Ways to Celebrate Earth Day!

Plant a Tree

With this simple act, you celebrate the earth by increasing the leafy canopy. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, "One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people."

Planting a tree can be quite simple. For about 10 bucks, you can buy a bare-root tree from the National Arbor Foundation and get it planted in less than an hour. These 2- to 3-foot whips are easy to manage. By choosing the right variety for your site and keeping it watered, your new tree will adapt quickly and thrive. Another great option: donate cash to groups that plant trees all over the world, such as the Canopy Project.

Grow Your Own

Nothing tastes like vegetables that you've grown yourself. Whether you just grow a pot of tomatoes on the patio or you expand your large vegetable garden, you'll be able to say, "I grew this, and it's delicious!"

Get started with our Kitchen Garden Planner, which shows you how to plant, maintain and harvest a productive garden of any size. If you don't have room for a garden, support local farmers by buying their produce whenever you can.

Plant Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca with a monarch caterpillar

Though it may be a weed to some, this plant is the only food eaten by the kind of caterpillars that become monarch butterflies. As more of this precious plant is eliminated by conventional farming techniques, home gardeners and landowners can make a difference by creating a monarch waystation. To learn what species of milkweed are native to your area, check the list at Monarch Watch.

While you're at it, fill one of your annual planters with flowers that welcome pollinators.The results will be beautiful and beneficial. To learn more, read the article Saving the Monarch Butterfly.