Monarch butterfly
The caterpillars of Monarch butterflies feed only on milkweed, so plant some milkweed. Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash
Milkweed is the only food that the caterpillars of the monarch butterfly will eat. But the use of pesticides, along roadsides, on crops, and in gardens and parks, is wiping out milkweed and consequently the beautiful butterfly. Avoid using Roundup and other glyphosate-based pesticides and speak up to home-improvement stores to stop the sales. Plant milkweed that is native to your area in your own spaces and watch for the caterpillars and butterflies to thank you with their presence.
Go on an Earth Day (April 22) scavenger hunt with your family. Take a hike/walk in a park or just in the neighborhood. The area doesn’t have to be big. Give each person, even the youngest, a list of 22 items in nature to find. Adapt the level of difficulty by age. Ask the youngest to find a rock, but older ones can find a rock the size of a fist or one that has red in it, for example. Create teams or just help each other. Have fun! Talk about God’s good gift of nature.
Ditch the old-style landfill-bound, single-use plastic containers for cleaning products. Switch to dissolvable concentrated refill tablets for your hand soap, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaners. Mailed to you in minimal, recyclable paper packaging, the tablets are ready for you to drop into a reusable bottle and just add water. Visit Blueland.com.
Recycling one ton of paper and cardboard saves 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, and 7,000 gallons of water. Not only does the environment benefit, but also hospitals, grocery stores, and homes depend on supplies that are packaged or made from recycled paper. During COVID closures, business sources have diminished. So, your household recycling is even more important.
As you study seed catalogs and get mentally ready to “dig in the dirt,” take time to watch a film about the amazing soil that nourishes us with both food and beauty. Browse for and view The Biggest Little Farm or Kiss the Ground. Then you will be spiritually ready to give thanks for what is so much more than “just dirt.”
Burning fossil fuel spews pollution. People living nearby are most vulnerable to the resulting lung damage, which makes them the most vulnerable to the COVID virus. With the unjust practice of redlining that has limited where People of Color can purchase property, 68% of Black Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Eliminating fossil fuel emissions is also working for justice for planet and people.
Individual actions won’t be enough to stop our environmental crisis, but your actions can be a catalyst for change. Every dollar you spend (or don’t), every contact you make (or don’t) with policymakers, every conversation with family, friends, or colleagues sends a message to the market, to the legislature, to others about their actions. Be faithful in your creation justice efforts.
John Wesley challenges us: “We should every one of us consider to what end God has put us in the place we are. And when an opportunity offers of serving God and our generation, we must take care not to let it slip.” What opportunities are yours for taking care of God’s creation, for working on behalf of our generation and the ones to come?
Invite a few friends to go on a wildflower walk with you. Outdoors and socially distanced, you can renew your spirits as you see the sprouting beauties God has provided. Connecting people, especially children, to nature is healing and delightful!
On a balmy but drizzly spring day grab some rags and a kid or friend or two and go play in the rain—oh, and help the rain wash your car. Wipe it down. Add a bit of competition or music for crazy dancing moves! But no running water, just the rain for the rinse job. Fun for you and good for the Earth—the car too.
The United Methodist Creation Justice Movement is providing these Tips
as a tool to equip church members, families, and individuals to respond to God's call to care for creation and do justice with our neighbors.
For more about the UM Creation Justice Movement, go to umcreationjustice.org.