Celebrate Nature - 2013
Earth Day is Monday, April 22 and Arbor Day is Friday April
26. See below for highlights
of upcoming sustainability events that contribute to making Mesa a
more sustainable and green community. Whether you are planning a
Climate Rally or a tree-planting just for fun, let us know by
submitting your event. Check back often for green tips and
upcoming events.
| Learn more about Earth
Day and Arbor Day |
EARTH
DAY: On April 22, 1970, 20 million people across America
celebrated the first Earth Day. Today, Earth Day is celebrated
annually around the globe, and through combined efforts of
grassroots organizations, and citizens like you, what started as
a day of national environmental recognition has evolved into a
world-wide campaign to protect our global environment. Celebrate
the 43rd anniversary of Earth Day by attending one of the events
below.
ARBOR DAY: It has been 141 years since J.
Sterling
Morton founded Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a
special day for tree planting is now more important than ever.
The 1st official Arbor Day was created by Morton and celebrated
in Nebraska in 1872. In the years following that first Arbor
Day, Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska and today all 50
states celebrate Arbor Day. Find tree care information and more
on our
Arbor Day page.
| Earth-Friendly Events Happening in Mesa |
Bike2Work Day and
Earth Day Expo:
April 17, 6-8 a.m. Bicycle in or just drop by Bike2WorkDay with
interactive activities, a helmet decorating contest, prizes and
a pancake breakfast and smoothie sale. Mesa City Plaza entrance at 20 E. Main Street in
Mesa.
Arbor Day Tree Plantings: April 26, 10
a.m. The City of Mesa will conduct tree plantings at
Candlelight Park.
See link below to submit your event.
********Outside of Mesa ********
Earth Day Celebration,
9th Annual April 13 at The Salt River
Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Earth Day at the Phoenix Zoo April 21.
It's a Party for the Planet! Visit the Water - Use It Wisely
booth for...
Are you planning an Earth-friendly, Arbor Day or sustainability-related
event that is open to the public? Please
submit
your program to our site so we can connect you with members
of our community.
| Easy Things You Can Do for Earth Day |
As we count down to Earth Day we are adding a new tip each day
starting April 1st.
-
Check out books available on earth-friendly topics
for home and garden at a City of Mesa Library. Find a list
of our
favorite books and descriptions.
-
Paper, plastic, cans and more! Learn about Mesa's many
recycling programs by visiting
www.mesarecycles.org.
-
Sign up for our
Landscape Watering Reminder subscription service so that
you can get a monthly reminder to adjust the schedule on
your irrigation timer. The reminder will detail frequency
rates for different types of plants in your landscape. Visit
www.mesaaz.gov/Home/EmailLists.aspx.
-
Pick one day in April to ride your bike to work and
celebrate Valley Bike Month with activities. Check out
The
Great Arizona Bicycle Festival to celebrate all
things bike! Find Kid's bicycle rodeo, bike swap meet, BMX
freestyle show and more on April 5 and 6 in downtown Mesa, or
Bike2Work Day and
Earth Expo is on April 17, 6-8 a.m. at Mesa City Plaza entrance at 20 E. Main Street in
Mesa. Find the best bicycle routes in the
City
of Mesa Bike Map.
-
Read labels when purchasing garden, automotive and
cleaning products and purchase those with natural or
plant-based ingredients whenever possible. Switching to
safer alternatives will have a positive impact for you and
your family, and will also benefit the environment. If you
need to dispose of any hazardous materials, be sure to do so
properly at a
Mesa Household Hazardous Waste Event - our next event is
coming up April 20th!
-
Go to one of the many April events happening.
See all of the
LIVING GREEN Events going on.
-
Skip the plastic grocery bag. Use a reusable one instead. If
you do use plastic grocery bags, please remember to recycle
them at your local retailer. Due to sorting limitations,
plastic bags ARE NOT accepted in Mesa's blue barrel.
-
Your Place to Play is the new tag line of Mesa Parks and
Recreation.
Go outdoors and play in one of Mesa's 206 play spaces. We
have 57 parks that include 10 sports complexes, 133 Basins,
5 Recreation Centers, a golf course and 9 swimming
pools/aquatic complexes. Learn more at
Mesa Parks and
Recreation. Check out the cool
summer programs & events!
-
Mark your calendars for a special Earth Day themed
storybook reading featuring the book, Recycle
Every Day! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace during
preschool story time reading sessions at all three Mesa
Public Library branches: April 16th at Mesa Main, April 17th
at Dobson Ranch Branch and April 18th at Red Mountain
Branch. Charlie the Recycling Chimp mascot
will also be making a special guest appearance at all three
sessions and young guests will have the chance to receive a
special Earth Day souvenir.
Learn more.
-
This Friday, April 12 attend
ENERGYWISE WITH SRP. Tanya Hughes will present tips and
techniques to save energy and money at home in the Arizona
climate. The program is FREE and no registration is
necessary. Location: Red Mountain Branch Library, 635 N.
Power Road
**BONUS** Attendees can register to win an
energy-efficiency gift pack valued at up to $100
-
Mark your calendar for April 20 from 7-9 p.m. to enjoy
a beautiful evening picnic and movie at
Mesa Urban Garden, 212 E. First Avenue. A screening of
the documentary,
A
COMMUNITY OF GARDENERS will take place after dark.
Bring chairs, blankets and a picnic, or buy a delicious
Urban Picnic sandwich.
-
Order a backyard composter from Mesa's Solid Waste
Department for only $5. Composting is a great way to turn
kitchen scraps and yard clippings into mulch for your
plants. Call (480) 644-2221 for more information.
-
Water your yard just the right amount by ordering our
tell-all booklet, Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A
Guide for the Arizona Desert. Up to 70% of your water
use is outdoors and reducing your landscape use is one of
the easiest ways to save water. Call for our booklet at
(480) 644-3306 or visit our online version at
www.wateruseitwisely.com/arizona.
-
Reduce your food miles (distance your food travels
from grower to plate) by planting a garden or shopping at a
local farmer's market. You may also want to join a CSA
(Community Supported Agriculture) where you pay a local
farmer an up front fee in return for a weekly basket of
seasonal produce. Active markets can be found at
www.arizonafarmersmarkets.com. To find a
CSA near you visit
www.localharvest.org.
-
Free Party in the Park! April 20, 3-6 p.m.
CELEBRATE MESA This free family festival includes games,
carnival rides, food vendors, entertainment and lots of
Earth Day themed information booths with giveaways and
prizes. Stop by the Sunflower Activity booth to plant your
own sunflowers to take home, see the 25' inflatable earth,
take an Earth Day pledge.Pioneer Park, 526 E. Main Street.
-
Check out books, Nook eReaders & other materials at Mesa
Library. It reduces costs and saves paper. Also, be sure to
use the virtual library by downloading books to your
eReader. Find library locations and resources available at
www.mesalibrary.org.
-
Plant colorful, hardy, low-water use plants in your
landscape. Up to 70% of your water use is outdoors, and each
water-thrifty plant you install will save up to 550 gallons
a year.
Save even more water by removing some grass and Mesa will pay you $500 through
our Grass-to-Xeriscape rebate program and you'll soon be enjoying a
colorful water-wise landscape, lower water bills and no more
mowing. Request our free guide, Landscape Plants for the
Arizona Desert and other booklets. Contact us at (480)
644-3306 or visit
www.mesaaz.gov/conservation.
-
To help Mesa residents celebrate the 43rd anniversary of
Earth Day, the City of Mesa encourages residents to
"Be Seen Being Green" by participating in the
following activities: Learn about
Mesa's
recycling programs. Attend our upcoming
Household Hazardous Waste Collection event from 8
a.m.-noon on Sat., April 20 at the Center Street Facility,
2412 N. Center St. Join
Club Blue, Mesa's recycling club for kids to show their
support for protecting the planet.
-
April 20 from 7-9 p.m., enjoy a beautiful evening
picnic and movie at
Mesa Urban Garden,
212 E.
First Ave. A screening of the documentary,
A COMMUNITY OF
GARDENERS will take place after dark. Bring chairs,
blankets and a picnic.
-
Volunteer to help build the Washington-Escobedo
Community Garden on Sat., April 20, from 7:30 a.m.
to 1:30 p.m. Garden location is 503 N. Lewis in Mesa.
-
It's warming up! Want to know how to keep the 'Splash' in
your pool? Check out our
easy guide to keeping your pool water efficient.
-
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY Today and every day!
-
Visit our sustainability site as a one-stop shop for what's
available or happening at the City of Mesa to help the
environment. Find out about recycling programs, water and
energy conservation, Living Green workshops, Sustainability
Savings Tips and more at
www.mesaaz.gov/sustainbility.
| Living Green Events: Earth-Friendly Advice for Home
& Garden |
The aim of "Living Green" events is to inform the community
about why and how to increase the sustainability of our
community, and is part of a larger effort by the City to develop
and implement innovative programs to address environmental
issues and concerns. Library Resources include books available at City of
Mesa Library on sustainable landscaping, waterwise gardening,
energy efficiency, green living, and earth-friendly building and
remodeling.
-
See all of the
LIVING GREEN Events going on in April!
-
Next Living Green
Event
- Arbor Day Tree Planting: On April
26, 2013, the City of Mesa will conduct a tree planting
at 10 a.m. Open to the public. For
more information, call 480-644-3334.
- Location: Candlelight Park
-
Library Resources
| Go Green with Mesa Parks & Recreation |
- Reserve a Ramada in a Mesa Park and get some fresh air
and connect with nature
- Use a bike trail to travel through your community and
reduce your carbon footprint
- Swim at one of the eight swimming pools and save water
and energy by using a public pool
- Register for programs & classes (learning creates more
sustainable communities)
- Use one of our Recreation Centers, Sports Facilities or
the Multigenerational Center
(health, nutrition and recreation are all part of a
sustainable community)
For more information: 480-644-2352 or
www.mesaaz.gov/parksrec
| Online Games/Fun Links About Nature & Our
Environment |
Check out these fun games and activities about trees from the
Arbor Day Foundation.
http://www.arborday.org/kids/teachingYouth.cfm
To learn about
Arizona's Natural Wonders and Wildlife, visit
this site from Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer.
The
Water - Use It Wisely Kids Page features interactive games
like Tip Tank, the Water Family, Mission H2O and more.
The
Environmental Kid's Club features games about water,
recycling and the environment on this site sponsored by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Visit
Going Green at the Phoenix Zoo to help conserve and preserve
our world for future generations. Learn how to make
earth-friendly cleaning products and many other green tips.
Learn to save energy with Tinker Bell and her friends at a site
by the U.S. Department of Energy.
http://www.eere.energy.gov/kids/
Disney's Friends for Change Project Green site is helping kids
help the planet.
Find interactive games about land, earth and water on this NASA
site. http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/
The alliance to save energy teaches you how to defeat Energy
Hogs. http://www.energyhog.org/
Mesa's Solid Waste Management Department has fun activities
"just for kids."
http://www.mesaaz.gov/waste/Just_For_Kids_Activities.aspx
Have loads of fun on this site with fun games and activities
about land, water, climate change, nature and more.
http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/kids_home.cfm