Celebrate Nature
Earth Day takes place on April 22 each year
and Arbor Day is the last Friday in April. 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 41st anniversary of Earth Day by attending one of the events
below.
ARBOR DAY: It has been over 135 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.
| Take the SustainLane Local Action Challenge |
SustainLane's Local Action Challenge is a way for you to
make a difference in Mesa, and win prizes doing it! Take the
Local Action Challenge for Mesa and earn points by completing
challenges from your city's list. Each point you earn is an
entry into that week's drawing for prizes from green business
sponsors. Here's how to play:
1. Choose a challenge.
2. Take a photo of yourself completing the challenge.
3. Upload it.
4. Win a prize.
5. Repeat.
| Easy Things You Can Do for the Earth Every
Day |
As we count down to Earth Day we will add a new tip each day
starting April 1st.
-
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 or visit
www.mesaaz.gov/waste/successful_composting.aspx.
-
Plant a tree to provide wildlife habitat, shade,
and improve air quality. For a great list of trees to plant,
request our free guide, Landscape Plants for the
Arizona Desert. Call (480) 644-3306 or visit
www.mesaaz.gov/conservation.
-
Look into upgrades for your home to reduce your
water and energy use and take advantage of rebates and tax
credits available to do so. Incentives are available for
appliances, water heaters, insulation, air conditioners,
solar electric systems, windows and shade screens. Find more
information and links at
www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability.
-
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 upfront 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.
-
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 April 16th). Find information at
www.mesaaz.gov/waste/HHW.aspx.
-
Check out books & 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.
-
Collect rainwater off your rooftop and driveway
and divert to your landscape plants to save water. Water
harvesting systems can be simple or complex and state tax
credits are available for costs of rain gutters and rain
barrels. Call us at (480) 644-3306 for our free booklet
titled Harvesting Rainwater for Landscape Use.
For tax credit information, visit
www.azdor.gov/TaxCredits/WaterConservationSystems.aspx.
-
Learn about Mesa's many recycling programs by
visiting
www.mesarecycles.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. Call (480) 644-3306 to request our free
guide, Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Pick one day in April to ride your bike to work
and celebrate Valley Bike Month. Find the City of Mesa Bike
Map
at
http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation/pdf/2010_bike_map.pdf.
-
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.
-
Save water by using Mesa swimming pools this
summer instead of filling up your inflatable pools. It
only cost $1.75 for a day of swimming. Learn more at
http://www.mesaaz.gov/parksrec/Aquatics/default.aspx.
-
Mesa Library patrons can now borrow a free Kill A
Watt meter that will tell them how much energy their
appliances use. Customers who know more about their energy
usage are more likely to conserve and save money on their
monthly electric bills. Check one out at any of Mesa’s 3
libraries.
-
Check out books available on earth-friendly
topics for home and garden. See a listing and descriptions
at
www.mesalibrary.org/research/links/living-green.aspx.
-
Remove some grass and Mesa will pay you $500. Check
out our Grass-to-Xeriscape program and you'll soon be
enjoying a colorful water-wise landscape, lower water bills
and no more mowing. Contact us at (480) 644-3306 or visit
www.mesaaz/gov/conservation.
-
Go outdoors and play in one of Mesa's 204 play
spaces. We have 56 parks that include 10 sports complexes,
133 Basins, 2 Golf Courses, 5 Recreation Centers, and 8
pools. Learn more at
http://www.mesaaz.gov/parksrec/.
-
Learn about Xeriscape landscaping where you follow
eight simple principles that will help you create a
beautiful, colorful and water-saving landscape that is easy
to maintain, too. Call (480) 644-3306 for a free copy of our
Xeriscape guide, or visit our online version at
www.landscapewithstyle.com.
-
Count how many water-saving tips you already
implement out of the 100 available at
www.wateruseitwisely.com/arizona. While
there, check out the online water audit and lots of how-to’s
to save water in your landscape.
-
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.
-
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY!
-
CELEBRATE EARTH DAY EVERYDAY!
| Living Green: Earth-Friendly Advice for Home
& Garden |
The aim of the "Living Green" series 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. The workshop series takes place on the
second Saturday of each month with new topics and guest
speakers. 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.
| 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.
http://www.azgovernor.gov/Kids.asp
The Water - Use It Wisely Kids Page features interactive games
like Tip Tank, the Water Family, Mission H2O and more.
http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/kids/index.php
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).
http://www.epa.gov/kids/
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.
http://disney.go.com/projectgreen/
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