We hope you had a happy Earth Month!

In Mrs. Green’s World, every month is Earth Month! April is especially significant. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. More than 20 million people celebrated all things sustainable that day. Over the last 40 years, that one-day national celebration has evolved into a month long international effort to reduce human impact on the earth and to share ideas on how to create a healthier, more sustainable future.

How did you celebrate Earth Month? We held a month long drawing, asking you to submit your Earth Month Celebration ideas. We had a WEEKLY DRAWING on April 8, 15, 22 and 29. Each week, a randomly selected winner received a Mrs. Green S’well Water Bottle and a Mrs. Green Reusable Bag.

Winner of the April 29th drawing – Israel Lopez of Tucson, AZ

I am walking around everywhere living green to make this place we live in better. I go turning lights off that do not need to be on, closing the faucet to stop excess water from going down the drains, unplugging things off the wall like cell phone chargers when they are not in use, telling people to get rid of plastic bags and use re-usable bags when shopping. Also i try to make sure all recyclable items are recycled at my house and most of the places i go. If we don’t make an effort to change & save this planet who will?

Winner of the April 22nd drawing – Andrea Foster of Oro Valley, AZ

My husband and I are relocating to the east coast this Earth Month!  We have decided to downsize from a house to a city loft, with a communal green courtyard for outdoor enjoyment.  (Air conditioning is provided by opening our windows!)  Loft living means making decisions about what we REALLY want to have in our space, then disseminating the rest via Craigslist, Freecycle, consignment shops, giving to friends, and donating to worthy causes.  For any new home/storage items we need in Boston, we will look first on Craigslist for gently used solutions.  Reduce, reuse, recycle in action!  In Boston, I will utilize public transit and my own two feet to commute to/from my office each day.  Lastly, we can’t wait to patronize the farmers’ markets and the many locally-owned eateries that are all within walking distance in our new neighborhood.

Winner of the April 15th drawing – Doug Stillman of Racine, WI

I’m planting my garden and loving my chemical free crop!

Winner of the April 8th drawing – Sherry Roethig of Mesa, AZ

I am going to GreenStock Concert & Expo at the Scottsdale, AZ Waterfront.  April 15-17th they have over 20 bands performing like Candlebox, and large outdoor yoga sessions by Mountainside Fitness. Plus did you know that SRP is planting a tree for every ticket sold at GreenStock to re-forest burned areas of Arizona!  Please come out to GreenStock, I will be there all 3 days  yea!!!

Terry Dee of Tucson, AZ

The Habistore will be out all over Tucson to let folks know how they can help habitat build better greener homed, also how the. Habistore is on its way to devert 250 tons from our local landfills this year.

Jeanne Louderbough of Tucson, AZ

Composting trash, bringing reusable bags to every store I visit, and only buying things that are necessary!

Jill Bullock of Tucson, AZ

I ride my bike to work every day, I harvest rain water to water my garden, I compost, and recycle everything that I can.

Elizabeth of New York, NY

Have been developing a pile of electronics and wires that are no longing being used in the house.  Am planning to find a recycling/electronic disposition site and deliver them all there.

Becky Madigan of Tucson, AZ

Riding my bike- on a 73 mile Tour of the Tucson mountains!

Julia Allen of Virgina Beach, VA

always use cloth diapers but this year on earth day I am joining a group to set a Guinness World Record of the most cloth diapers changed at one time!

Marisa of Tucson, AZ

Disseminating information on using essential oils to clean the home instead of using chemical based cleansers.

Brian Keane of Washington, DC

Celebrating the Arizona Solar Challenge, Western Mass Saves, The Connecticut Neighbor to Neighbor Program — and a ton of others!

Theresa Bankert of Tucson, AZ

I will have a Shaklee “Get Clean” booth for the 17th year in a row at the Tucson Children’s Earth Day Festival at Reid park on April 16th.  On April 30 will have a Earth Day info event (contact me for time and directions). All month will be having specials and in home info events.

Breann Brannon of Tucson, AZ

I run an in-home daycare/preschool.  I have planted a huge garden and started a compost bin with my kids to teach them the importance of eating healthy foods and reducing our waste.  I have been overjoyed to see how into the gardening they are!  I have actually had to ask their parents to stop sending them in nice cloths as they go home so dirty each day (but thankfully the parents are appreciative of what they are learning)!  It is so important to instill a responsibility for taking care of our Earth at an early age!

David Cohn of Tucson, AZ

I AM CONCENTRATING ON WAYS TO USE LESS WATER!

Brenda Goldsmith of Tucson, AZ

Spring cleaning- recycling household and clothing items, shoes and getting them to people in need. Celebrating with Hug It Forward next week by recording hugs given each day to help fund a school in S. America made out of recycled bottles.

Monica Krebs of Saunderstown, RI

Riding my bike to school instead of driving.

Danielle Donohue of Concord, CA

Replacing all of my BPA free plastic bottles with stainless steel, and using only all natural cleaning agents

Ann Pardo of Tucson, AZ

I work at a resort and I have created a lecture/discussion called Ecopsychology.  My wish is that I present enough information about our relationships with things ecological that people can look at themselves as part of nature and therefore be more conscious of choices that effect our world.  I gave the lecture last week to feel springtime.  The lecture is both joyful and intimate: I ask the question, ‘…and what part of you is like an oil spill?’  I am very proud of raising the issue in a place where it has meaning and can be brought home after the resort experience.

Christina Rossetti of Tucson, AZ

I’m hoping to spend more time with Mrs Green walking the beautiful Sabino Canyon and enjoying the majesty of the desert right in our backyard (while using BPA -free water bottles, of course!)

Marion Hook of Tucson, AZ

I’m encouraging friends and guests to take their magazines that they no longer want to the volunteer desk at local hospitals.  The volunteers there will distribute them to the various waiting rooms at the facilities.  This goes for all those catalogues (solicited and unsolicited) you receive.  Sometimes flipping through a magazine can relieve both boredom and stress.  We been doing this for years!

Gabriela Sainz of Tucson, AZ

I have added a recycling bin at home and at my parents home. 😉

Lydia Kennedy of Tucson, AZ

We just changed from Arizona Exterminating of 7 years to Eco Pest Service with Nick.  We are so happy to make the change to 100% Eco Pure and to know that we are using earth friendly products to protect our home from pests.  More importantly, we are protecting ourselves, our pets and others from those harmful chemicals.

Robin of Tucson, AZ

Celebrated an Earth Day wedding by having a re-used gift bridal shower.  The bride received a beautiful silver serving spoon, art, goodies, handmade treasures, an angle, expresso machine, and more gently used and loved items as gifts. Congratulations Nicole.

Brenna Long of Lawrence, KS

Making bulletin board for my residence hall. Walking to class instead of riding the bus. Using my reusable water bottle. Attending the Earth Day Parade in Lawrence. Switching out all my old light bulbs.

Marilyn Day of Tucson, AZ

I am filling my recycle bin fuller than my trash bin, being more careful NOT to buy “over” packaged goods, using water from my Green Plumber Barrel to water my flowers, not buying plastic bottles of water, reusing, and shopping used stores and yard sales, carrying my Mrs Green bag and others into every store and not accepting any plastic bags, pretty much business as usual!!

Stacey Kawsarani of Westland, MI

Ditching bottled water and buying a reusable water bottle.

Kristi Spillman of Greer, AZ

My sweetheart and I haul off unwanted items for cabin owners in the Greer/White Mtns. AZ. While most folks just want their “junk” (outdated, yet working, appliances and furniture) and yard waste dumped, we sort, test and find ways to reduce the trash. We have 2 local green dumps for the brush. If it’s stuff beyond repair, the local landfill offers rcycling for almost all of it. This month we are selling the working appliances and furnishings at a virtual yard sale and donating all the smaller reuseable goods to our local animal rescue’s thrift shop. They help with spay, neuter and adoption sevices for pets in our area. Whatever we don’t end up selling, we’ll then donate to our community rummage sale that benefits an organization in our village. We like to think that, for our efforts, our whole community benefits We love our earth!

Lucy of Tucson, AZ

Re-plenishing my supply of chemical-free sunblock and insect repellent, ordering new BPA-free stainless steel water bottles and planting my herb garden.  Love going natural!

Coppelia Tarantal of Tucson, AZ

I am celebrating Earth Month by teaching children (and parents) ways they can help the Earth.  I am reading the book “The Earth Book” by Todd Parr and taking the time to explain why saving water and using grocery bags are SO important.  If you get the kids on board you get the grownups on board too! If you make loving the Earth fun it makes the everyday things you can do to help preserve the Earth easier to do! We are also using rocks to do fun crafts…because who doesn’t love a pet rock?! I am also practicing what I preach! I conserve water, electricity and try to always bring my grocery bags shopping!

Leah of Tucson, AZ

Our family has made some huge strides toward greener living this month…first of all, last week we had 2 Solatubes installed in our kitchen/dining room which now enable us to leave the lights off nearly all day! Secondly, I have ordered a compost tumbler from a local guy who is making mine as we speak. I love this move for 2 reasons–first of all, we’ll be composting again, something we haven’t done since we moved here 2 years ago and composting is good for SO many reasons! Secondly though, I love that I’m buying this tumbler from someone local–I’m keeping my dollars in my own community and supporting another local family, and the actual tumbler is not being shipped across the country, or even worse, across the world. The most significant move that we’re working towards though, is selling my gas guzzling SUV and purchasing a Hybrid…as soon as my car is sold, we’ll be reducing our carbon footprint drastically and that makes me very happy!

Bridget Peyton of Tucson, AZ

Bike to the Zoo Event and attending the Raytheon Earth Day Event.

Ken Charvoz of Tucson, AZ

Building an outdoor shower that will water the trees. Already have a rain water harvesting system and grey water (washing machine) piping system installed.

Joni Magnuson of Bismarck, ND

We are retrieving wood from an old barn (on my parents’ property) before it is disposed of. The wood will become the ‘new’ floor in in our sun porch. Can’t wait to get further into this project!