6

Page 6 GO TO GUIDE - ARMY EARTH DAY More Earth Day Activities Host a kids' fishing derby at installation ponds, and ask state game biologists to describe their catches to them. Make educational trails with legends identifying trees and plants. Also, place garbage along the trail, with signs explaining how each item harms the environment. For example, put a sign next to a plastic bag explaining how a turtle can swallow it and die. Locate and identify edible plants, such as nut and fruit trees, honeysuckles, grapevines, rose petals, and mint leaves. Host a plant recycling event. Have people bring unwanted indigenous plants or seedlings from their yards to a common area on post for planting or distribution. Build birdhouses and install them throughout the installation. Tell participants about the birds you want to attract, why they need artificial nests and the value these birds bring to the local ecosystem. Hold a "bird walk." Contact your local Audubon Society to enlist the help of a skilled bird watcher who can identify and count birds on your installation. Point out which birds are year-round residents and which are migrants, and discuss their habitat requirements. Provide an identification pamphlet. Hold a "tree walk" to identify native and exotic trees. Describe each species' value to the local ecosystem (source of shade and nesting cover, for example). Provide an identification pamphlet. Have a "Paul Bunyan" contest. Find the largest tree in the area. Measure the tree by the number of people that can fit around it by holding hands. Conduct a nature photo contest and display best photos on line. Play "habitat hide-and-seek." Create a home for a selected animal. Ask contestants to find the home and identify its occupant. Start a community garden, pumpkin or wildflower patch, strawberry or sunflower field by planting seeds in a common area. Donate plants or flowers students plant in biodegradable pots to a children's hospital or nursing home. Restore an erosion area. Visit a wildlife conservation area and have a natural resources expert discuss the project. Creating a greenhouse demonstration to explain global warming. Place two shallow cardboard boxes side-byside in the sunlight. Put a thermometer inside each box, preferably in a shaded area. Place a piece of glass over one of the boxes, creating a tight seal. Within minutes, the temperature in the glasscovered box will rise above that in the uncovered box. For an added touch, measure the rate at which ice cubes melt in the boxes. Stencil storm sewers : Do Not Dump -Sewer Drains to Natural Waters. Waste Management & Restoration Host a household hazardous waste turn-in day. Reusable items, such as paint, can be donated to the self-help store. The installation can dispose of all other materials. Have a “recycling sale” where participants get tickets in exchange for their recyclable items. They can trade tickets for prizes (coloring books, reusable drink bottles, etc.). Cleanup a mini landfill. Dump a load of trash onto the lawn and ask for volunteers to don masks, goggles, and gloves and separate the trash. This activity demonstrates the large amount of recyclables that are thrown away and will save the materials from the local landfill (don't throw recyclables back into the trash). Pollution Prevention Hold a "dirty sock contest" in a parking lot to demonstrate how auto emissions affect air quality. Ask contestants to place a clean white sock over their car's exhaust pipe and run the engine for 30 seconds. The contestant with the dirtiest sock wins a free tune-up at the installation's auto hobby shop, while the one with the cleanest sock wins a trip or other comparable prize. Remember to use all relevant safety precautions during this activity. Local vendors can donate the socks and prizes, but your MWR representative must coordinate this. Demonstrate nontoxic cleaning options. You will need a few basic household ingredients and some dirty cloth, metal, and glass (see Appendix D for directions). Build a compost pile. You will need dry leaves, dead weeds, shredded cardboard, grass clippings, and plants. Put the ingredients in piles so participants can add to the recipe (see Appendix E for directions). Conduct a tour of an environmental cleanup site and explain the process. Continued on bottom of next page.

7 Publizr Home