Happy Earth Day from the Upper Valley Trails Alliance!
We love the planet and know that spending time in nature is essential for our physical and mental health. If you, like us, love spending time outside and on the trails, here are 5 ways you can give back to the community today and ensure our outdoor spaces are well taken care of.
1. Clean up a local, public space.
Litter is everywhere – sometimes left intentionally and other times it falls off the back of a vehicle. Either way, it is not meant for natural spaces and is incredibly harmful to local wildlife. If there is a spot you frequently visit and some trash seems to be piling up on the side of the road, grab a garbage bag and get to work! You are more likely to find litter in busier locations like shopping center parking lots or trails near a busy street. If you choose to clean these spaces, wear brightly colored clothing and avoid passing vehicles. Be safe!
2. Look for local Earth Day campaigns!
Local restaurants and businesses tend to celebrate Earth Day in fun ways such as giving back to a local organization, selling metal straws with the purchase of a beverage etc. See what they’re up to by checking FB/Instagram for updates!
3. Adopt the phrase Leave It Better Than You Found It into behavioral patterns.
The reason we advocate for Leave It Better Thank You Found It is because we want to inspire trail users and outdoor recreators to care for spaces, not just monitor their own behavior. Not everyone knows how to behave in outdoor spaces, especially out of town visitors, who may not be as mindful of how they are leaving a space. The more we encourage users to clean up, regardless of who made the mess, the more likely spaces are to be conserved and usable to others. This also allows users to lead by example and encourage others to do the same.
4. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.
A good practice year round, you can use Earth Day as a way to evaluate how much waste you consume and limit the amount of single-use plastics purchased!
5. Donate to a good cause!
There are a lot of local organizations who advocate for conservation, sustainability and maintenance of natural spaces in the Upper Valley but what kind of non-profit employee would I be if I didn’t take this opportunity to talk about donating to the Upper Valley Trails Alliance?!
UVTA is an essential resource to the Upper Valley community by building publicly accessible trails, advocating for physical and mental health through trail use, advocating for outdoor recreation as a vital form or sustainable economic growth and advocating for the conservation of natural spaces.
If you want to support the Upper Valley Trails Alliance this Earth Day, click HERE to donate!
Click HERE to learn more about our work!
