Today we celebrate Earth Day. A day to reflect on the beauty of the natural world surrounding us and a reminder to continue to be its best possible stewards.
In this update...
With our Art Auction well underway, make sure you check out the special Earth Day discounts! And remember, bidding closes tomorrow, Saturday, at 4pm sharp.
In honor of Earth Day, we've pulled together some easy ways for you to become a better steward of our planet. We think you'll have fun reading through the list and implementing one or more of the ideas!
Pictured here are some of the first duckling arrivals this year. Read their story below.
Mark your calendars to join Ambassador Poe, our unCommon Raven, as he makes an appearance with his partner and co-author (and BRC Volunteer) Kathy Guthormsen at their first book signing!
ART AUCTION EARTH DAY SPECIAL With Earth Day being on the 22nd of April, for today only a selection of items and packages in the Art Auction are reduced by 22%!
In the first few days of bidding, we received bids and donations totaling over $7,000. Now, with just one more day to go, the action is heating up!
If you've been waiting to place your bid, now is the time!
Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement!
With increasing public concern for our environment, Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans (a full 10% of the US population at the time!) to act. President Richard Nixon established the EPA just a few months later to consolidate the federal government’s environmental research, monitoring, standard-setting, and enforcement responsibilities under one umbrella. A few great EPA achievements include: the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the banning of DDT, and restrictions on lead-based paints and gasoline.
Since then, environmental protections like the Endangered Species Act have played a critical role in preventing further losses. While acknowledging that there is still much work to be done, today we celebrate life on this planet with 18,000 species of birds, two million animal species, and a total of 8.7 million species of living creatures. Earth really is a magnificent place and fully deserving of celebration!
We hope that you spend this day admiring the beauty of the world around you.
Things you can do this Earth Day and beyond to make a better Earth for us all!
1. Choose a different snack, one that isn’t processed and packaged. Manufacturing is a messy process and the packaging creates literal tons of waste. Instead, go for in-season fruits and veggies, eating as is, or making your own snacks with fresh ingredients.
2. Pick up trash! Litter is everywhere. Next time you go for a walk (or even a trip to the grocery store), take an extra bag. Pick up trash as you stroll through your neighborhood or walk from the parking lot into the grocery store.
3. Compost kitchen scraps! Instead of food scraps ending up in a landfill and releasing a bunch of greenhouse gasses, turn them into a rich fertilizer to feed your own plants. This will save you money on fertilizer, too!
4. Make it a shop-free day! Buying less will cut down on waste and the environmental impact of the whole production and shipping process. If you really want or need something, buy used or local.
5. Reuse everything you can! Swap plastic bags with canvas ones and plastic straws with metal or bamboo. Do you throw away a Ziploc bag after one use? Wash and reuse instead. What about the piece of tinfoil you used to cover a dish? Fold it neatly and use at a later date.
6. Swap and trade! Network with friends and neighbors on social sites such as “Nextdoor” to swap and trade instead of buying new.
7. Eat more veggies! Eating meat is hard on the environment. If you want to become a vegetarian or vegan, great! If not, consider “meat free” days or meals. Even a commitment to eating smaller portions of meat helps!
8. Reduce plastic use! Consider this: A single plastic water bottle can take 450 years to break down. Look for plastic-free alternatives to common things that you buy. For example, did you know that they now make biodegradable phone cases? For your water consumption, use filtered water from your tap instead of buying water in plastic bottles.
9. Go outside, take a long walk, a hike, or simply sit in your backyard and observe. Do whatever you can to spend quality time with Earth. Increasing your bond with the planet increases your desire to do good for her.
10. Plant a vegetable or herb garden! Growing your own veggies or herbs is a great alternative to counteract the impact of mass agriculture. If you have a sunny spot in your yard, choose your favorite veggies and plant some seeds. Trade what you grow with friends and neighbors for greater variety! Don't have a lot of space or any yard at all? No problem! Grow herbs in a sunny window box and sprouts right on your kitchen counter.
11. Turn off the lights (and everything else). And yes, that includes unplugging and turning off your screens!
12. Share these tips (or just your favorite one!) with a friend or relative. Spreading the word makes a powerful difference.
FIRST DUCKLINGS HAVE ARRIVED!
Helpless ducklings find their way to BRC for care
This past week we received two groups of ducklings under similarly sad circumstances. In each case, the little ones were dutifully following their mom across busy roads when they became separated.
In one instance, Mom was struck by a vehicle and perished. In the other, the mother could not be found. In each case, had Good Samaritans not immediately acted, all of the babies would have died.
In each case, drivers of vehicles witnessing the incident immediately stopped to round up as many babies as they could.
We're very thankful for the kind souls in Rohnert Park and along Highway 37 who saw these incidents and took the time to help. All babies have since been evaluated by the BRC medical team. We performed triage and once the babies were stable, volunteers transported them to International Bird Rescue (IBR) for continued care. IBR staff and volunteers will nurture them until they are old enough to be released back into the wild.