“Invest in Our Planet” is the theme for this year’s Earth Day on April 22, 2022. A time for people of all backgrounds and ages to focus on what steps they can take to help protect the earth. Whether you or a loved one are living in a senior living community, there are lots of ways to get involved.

Earth Day:  Why It Matters

According to the Earth Day Initiative, Earth Day began in 1970 when public awareness, political will, and dedicated activism came together to create one of the largest demonstrations in human history. Held annually, Earth Day marks the day when people take time to appreciate humankind's connection to the Earth and to raise awareness of global environmental challenges.

Despite all the serious events going on in the world lately, Earthday.org reminds us that change starts with action. It’s an opportunity to take a positive step to help the world around us and to make the earth a better place for future generations. Every person has the power to make an impact, through choices made at home, in a grocery store, at work, how we vote, and what we do in the community.

And as an older adult, you have the power to influence others—your experiences, your wisdom, and your passions can have a great impact on those around you at home, or in a senior living community.

How Can You Mark This Earth Day in Senior Living?

Top tip:  be a “climate communicator.” Talk about what’s happening to the earth and its resources. Bring it up in casual conversations, on social media, and whenever you have a chance. Invite others to join you in a senior living earth day. Because people are more likely to care about, and take action on, a topic their friends, family and acquaintances are talking about.

Earthday.org is the official Earth Day website and is a good place to start for suggestions on ways residents of senior living and their families can get involved on Earth Day:    

•  Volunteer in local and global initiatives.
• Unsubscribe to catalogs and donate to The Canopy Project. For every $1 that is donated, one tree is planted! 
• Check out the Global Earth Challenge app and become a citizen scientist. Help monitor and mitigate threats to environmental and human health.
• Contact your representative and express your concerns about the health of the planet.

Other suggestions all of us can do:

• Toss out your garden pesticides.
• Plan a spring garden with native plants. Keep bird baths clean. Put up feeders and nesting boxes.
• Donate old clothing.
• Turn down your water heater. Reducing the setting by 10 degrees can save you from 3 to 5 percent on your water heating costs.
• Only run the dishwasher and clothes washer when they are full.
• Choose reusable shopping bags and reusable containers for water. This is especially helpful, as 50% of all plastic produced is used one time and then thrown away. And less than 9% of all plastic gets recycled.
• Get your grandchildren together and clean up a favorite park or playground.
• Start an environmental club and come up with ways to make better use of resources at home.
• Use cold water to wash your clothes.
• Make your own earth-friendly cleanser for cleaning showers, chrome fixtures, mirrors, and more: mix ½ cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda into ½ gallon (2 liters) of water.

And finally, be sure to get out and enjoy Nature. Don't forget, Earth Day is a time to cherish the world around you. Smell the roses!  Breathe the air! Spend some time absorbing the natural beauty around you and make your own personal pledge to invest in the planet. Your friends and loved ones in senior living can do the same.

Through the environmental component of our Empowered Living® program, residents are encouraged to gain personal fulfillment from their environment by participating in activities to learn about, preserve or spend time in nature. It’s one of our pillars of successful living, and Earth Day is just one example. From planning a shop local market in the courtyard to an organized power walk with trash pick-up, Clearwater residents are doing their part. Call the Clearwater Living community nearest you to learn more today!