Sunday, April 17, 2011

Earth Week and Earth Day April 22, 2011

I am linking my Earth Day post up to various blogs.  Please try visit Scenic Sunday and Mosaic Monday  and  That's My World

What are you doing on April 22, 2011? It is EARTH DAY!  I visited various websites that have wonderful suggestions on what you can do on Earth Day. The Nature Conservancy suggest going on a picnic that includes 5 easy choices:  eat smart, eat local, eat sustainably, eat green and eat out. A picnic on Earth Day sounds like a great idea to me.


This is the reservoir just  a walk away from my house and a great place to have a picnic.




My mosiac photos are of a Purple Finch in my backyard habitat, visit a National Wildlife Refuge like Chincoteague NWR, the Bald Eagles have made a huge comeback after the banning of DDT, plant some trees, find a nice place to have a picnic, cleanup a stream or river.







The Nature Conservancy also helping Fernando Veiga to plant one billion trees in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil.. One dollar plants one tree. Click on the link to donate a dollar.



                            I say plant a tree and stop the deforestation!!!!!!!






According to the WWF website the United Nations have declared 2011 the International year of the forest . WWF plans to work to increase and strengthen the protection of the worlds forest.



Here is a link to help protect your watersheds Adopt your watershed.  Stream cleanup sounds like a great idea, you get to be outside enjoying the sunshine and if you like to bird you might see some great bird sightings. 2011 marks the 20th  anniversary of National River Cleanup. My hubby will take a trash bag along on his walks to clean up the areas he likes to hike.



The Wilderness Society has some great suggestions too, volunteering on trail maintenance or leading wildlife tours in the refuges. Monitoring wildlife is one of my favorites and eBird makes it easy to record your bird count. Most of my ebird counts have been from my backyard and the reservoir's watershed around my house.


The National Wildlife Federation Certified Backyard habitat  is a website were you can learn how to make your backyard into a wildlife habitat. My yard was certified years ago, it is easy to provide food, water, shelter and a place for the birds to raise their families. My pond attracts frogs, birds dragonflies and other critters.

We planted various berry bushes and some nature provided like in my mosiac below. The birds just love these berries. I have a heated birdbath and a pond that provides water for the birds and wildlife. Trees, bushes, the wood pile and brush piles provide shelter for the birds and critters. I also provided houses for the birds, I see Bluebirds, Chickadees and wrens all using my housing.







                                 The Purple Finch is just one of the many yardbirds that visit my backyard  habitiat.




How about Pick 5 for the Environment here you are given many choices to pick from, simple easy ways to take action. Some actions that I like are protecting your water from pesticides, planting a trees or many trees, learning about the native species in your area and recycling is probably one of the easiest things my family does and last but not least please do not litter. Collecting rain water is another great idea.







I also would like to link Linda Lear's website  in memory of Rachel Carson a scientist and an ecologist with my Earth Day post.  Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring " spurred a reversal in the national pesticide policy. The book led to a ban on DDT. Thanks to the ban we are enjoying an increase in the population of Bald Eagles. Pesticides have a negative impact on our health and environment. Rachel Carson has some award winning books The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea and here is a a link to a few of her ebooks.  We live in an area with only well water so pesticides are a no-no. There are various types of organic fertilizers that can be used safely.







I feel Earth Day should be recognized by all and hopefully some of you will do one action or more I listed above. Even if it is just one action it could make a difference.

Thanks to all the hosts of the meme's I listed above and thanks for stopping by my post. Have a great Earth Week and Earth Day.
















64 comments:

  1. I enjoyed looking at your pictures. The collages were well presented! The frog picture is my favorite!

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  2. I read with interest your references to Rachel Carson. She was a ground breaking researcher who was demonized during her time but time has proven her correct.

    The demonization though continues to this day. Why only recently I heard Glenn Beck castigating her on his radio show as being responsible for the deaths of millions of people in Africa who has died of malaria. He stated that DDT is safe! Sad!

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  3. I can hear that you are passionate about caring for our planet. Good for you and well said. The photos of the forests are lovely.We recycle,use rainwater and grow flowering trees for the honeysuckle birds.

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  4. Great captures - and great ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day!

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  5. Simply outstanding!!!! I would have loved to have seen that bald eagle in real live person!! Whoa.

    My Sunday Link:
    Airplane Shadows

    Thanks for stopping by yesterday and leaving a comment. Your words are always a special treat for me. Have a great day....

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  6. You've put some great links together to make it easier to help-Thank you!

    Love the frog picture (all the photos are beautiful, just this one especially!)

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  7. Great post Eileen!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  8. great ideas to get us thinking 'earth'. beautiful mosaics too.

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  9. Hi Eileen, I 'try' to keep Earth Day YEAR ROUND. When we hike, we carry a bag to pick up junk people have discarded along the way...

    Being out in nature is just so awesome --and we all need to do what we can to preserve it.

    One of my son's planted a tree in the school yard MANY years ago... I'd love to see that tree now...

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  10. Your wonder photos (love the frog) are a perfect match with your post for Earth Day. I will check the links. You have a great Earth Week also!

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  11. Excellent post. Isn't it great seeing eagles in the wild. We posted one a couple of days ago too. Chincoteague was one of our trips last summer. It is a great place to visit and experience some unspoiled habitat.

    Darryl and Ruth : )

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  12. Brilliant photos, you can now relax, for one day.

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  13. Hi Eileen, My enjoyment of the wildlife here on my lake and in my area stem from my childhood reading (yes I read the book in 6th grade) of "Silent Spring". Way back when I was a girl I was a member of Camp Fire Girls (now just plain Camp Fire) for many years, and participated as a Den Leader in Cub Scouts for my son. I also have a B.S. in Recreation which was my first career before I became an educator. So, I can appreciate your post a lot! Excellent photographs! Have a wonderful day today!

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  14. nature holds such beauty thanks for showing the beauty in expressful photos come see what I shared at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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  15. The picture of the toad is dramatic.
    I like it!

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  16. Great shots. I love watching the birds in the backyard as well. Take care and have wonderful week.

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  17. Interesting, informative post and wonderful mosaics!

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  18. Beautiful post...some amazing shots, and some very artful mosaics. I especially like the picture of the trees and the reservoir.

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  19. Your photos are always so amazing and make such beautiful mosaics! We spent the day at a State park so I have some photos to share soon! ♥

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  20. That was a beautiful post. I will be with a group planting flowers around the Peace Pole at one of my favorite spots on Earth Day.
    QMM

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  21. Hello Eileen
    I enjoyed all your wildlife photos. Silent Spring was a real eye opener for sure and now that we have a pesticide ban in Ontario, everyone is taking organic gardening to heart.

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  22. Beautiful Eileen. I am long overdue for a nice walk in a preserve...
    You asked about Paska...the traditional Easter bread is a slighty sweet bread...

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  23. Eileen, wonderful and important post. Loved all your beautiful images. Heres to Earth Day!

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  24. Eileen, What an absolutely fantastic entry. Wonderful job getting a very important message across. There is always something more we can do. Just getting out within our surroundings makes us all much more aware of the importance of pitching in. Thanks for sharing your well-written knowledge.
    BlessYourHeart

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  25. Beautiful post with a wonderful message for us all!

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  26. What lovely pictures! I would so love it if everyone would stop littering. It's really becoming a huge problem again.

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  27. There are lots of things happening around here to promote going green and saving the environment. Our garden has been certified as a wildlife habitat by the Cdn Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation. We enjoy the birds and try to provide plants for pollinators. V

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  28. Your pictures are absolutely gorgeous. I do not think I have ever seen a purple finch before. Thanks so much for sharing your gorgeous mosaics!

    I am visiting from Mosaic Monday.

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  29. Such fabulous photos!!!
    Have a beautiful week!!!

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  30. Fabulous photos once more Eileen. I scrolled up and down and up and down enjoying each and every one. Those birds are, of course, unusual to me and I just adored each one ... Loved that purple finch.

    Terrific topic today. I know we try to do our bit here in the bushland and do everything we can to preserve the habitat here for the wildlife. It's not a choice really, it's a necessity I think.

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  31. Eileen!
    HAPPY EARTH DAY!
    And I must tell you.. you are a very good photographer!
    great photos and post.. i really enjoyed reading it1
    Smiles~
    Cricket@
    gypseanurse

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  32. Fantastic post, Eileen, very informative and the pictures are stunning! I just love the shot of the frog.

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  33. awesome set of photos here.all are pleasing to the eyes

    my scenic photos are up

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  34. Your mosaics are fantastic, and your post touches my heart. We need more people caring for the earth like you.

    Gorgeous photos, Eileen!

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  35. Bravo Eileen for posting this valuable info re: Earth Day!
    Thank you for reminding me of the date!
    We all must do our part..your suggestions are right on!
    A picnic on Earth Day sounds like a great idea to me also and planting trees and cleaning up streams and woodlands...Thank you for such an important message!

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  36. What a beautiful place! Lovely photos. I enjoyed all of them

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  37. Thankyou for you wonderful post about Earth Day and for your photos - I love the trees and the forests you show and the animals in your backyard.
    Thank you also for dropping by my blog - it was great to hear from you.

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  38. Elaine -- that's a wonderful post.

    We used to belong to Nature Conservancy and I will go visit their link as well as the others.

    We do some things well (recycle -- conserve water) ,others not so well. You nudge me to try harder.

    We have some great refuges nearby and I'll try to visit one on Earth Day -- or at least this week.

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  39. Enjoyed seeing your great pictures - thanks for sharing them with us. Some great "green" ideas also.

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  40. Fantastic post for the day, Eileen, and terrific captures! Thank you, too, for calling our attention to Earth Day and what we can and need to do so protect and preserve Our World! Marvelous! Hope your week goes well!

    Sylvia

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  41. i don't know what i'm doing for earth day, but a walk in the park next to the tall trees would be lovely.

    have a lovely week.

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  42. What a wonderful Earth Day post! Speaking of bald eagles have you seen the Decorah Eagle live cam? Google it if you haven't - it's so interesting. There is a link on the site to a wonderful PBS show on the pair and pesticides are also discussed.

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  43. Wonderful post about Earth Day. Your nature photography is always a pleasure to view.

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  44. FAB!! post Eileen! Love the photos and all the ideas-just wonderful!
    I'm glad you included the finch. Some people think "Oh it's just a finch, but I love their song!"
    And I love, love trees, so I loved, loved your photos of those!
    Happy Earth day to you!
    meggs.

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  45. Thank you for the Earth Day reminder... I will definitely do something to honor it right!

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  46. Your bird photos are wonderful, but I love the one of the squirrel getting a drink of water.
    Your suggestions for Earth Day and Earth Week are wonderful, Eileen. You sure did put a lot of thought and a lot of work into this post. Bravo!
    -- K

    Kay, Alberta, Canada
    An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

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  47. Very informative post. Yes we must all participate in Earth Day and do our little bit for the only planet we have.

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  48. All great ideas! And that purple finch is a beautiful bird!

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  49. That is a prince of a frog! Love its forest green shade as well as your photos of the forest. I dislike pesticides and try not to use them. Actually, natural products sometimes do a better job of keeping bugs, weeds and moss at bay. Simple vinegar turns moss an earth gray and eventually scares it away.

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  50. What a great idea Eileen. Wonderful photo's Have a good week

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  51. Great post Eileen and some wonderful ideas for ways to celebrate Earth Day. We do a lot through out the year like recycling, taking trash bags with us on hike and planting flowering bushes and trees.

    Our local Sustainable Living Center is holding a Green Bag Lunch day. Local business can order lunches for their employees and volunteers on bikes and walking will deliver them.

    I have also heard there is a stream clean up but I'm still trying to get detail on where everyone is meeting.

    I still have my first copy of Silent Spring, I have read it several times over the years.

    Love your collage, I had to smile when I looked at the lower left hand corner.

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  52. Beautiful photos and mosaic! And I have never seen such a beautiful frog.

    Happy Earth Day! I need to unwind first from my 5 day hike. Maybe we have something scheduled this weekend.

    Thanks for the very encouraging comments.

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  53. Eileen, you shots are stunning as always (!) what a wonderful "back yard" you have.
    Thanks for the heads up re Earth Day, an outdoor picnic sounds just the perfect thing to me.
    Maggie

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  54. All wonderful shots, but the frog is my favourite!

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  55. Very beautiful and scenic place. This reservoir is a nice place for picnic.

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  56. Stunning pictures Eileen! Your mosaics are gorgeous! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter!

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  57. Great photos and post.. April 21st is John Muir Day only appropriate

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  58. What a beautiful, loving tribute to our Mother. Thank you for brightening my day.

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  59. wow! the beauty of nature...so amazing...thanks for dropping by...great to be here.

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  60. Wonderful earth Day post, Eileen. So much useful information in one place. Great ideas, great photos - what better tribute to the earth?

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  61. Oh what a beautiful world you live in! I love nature as well! You have amazing pictures!

    I have Our WORLD of Wintry Spring for the My world meme as well! :)

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  62. Love that picture of the frog! Picking up trash is a good thing. I helped on clean up day here in town. If we all pitch in everything will look better.
    Nancy

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Have a happy day, Eileen

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