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.
| Easy Things You Can Do for the Earth Every
Day |
As we counted down to Earth Day 2012, we featured these
tips:
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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.
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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.
-
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 energy performance evaluations, shade
screens, water heaters, air conditioners and solar electric
systems.
-
Enter the "Show
Us Your Recycling Spirit!" Earth Day Photo Contest! Mesa
residents are invited to submit their most creative photo
showing recycling in action. Entry deadline is Thursday,
April 19th! The winner will receive a prize package and have
their photo featured on recycled truck billboard signs.
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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.
-
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
next week, April 14th!
-
Attend a Living Green workshop providing earth-friendly
advice for home and garden. Find more details at
www.mesaaz.gov/sustainability.
-
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 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.
-
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 with historic bicycle
tours, a kids bicycle safety rodeo and more on April 14 from
8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in downtown Mesa or
Bike2Work Day and
Earth Day Expo is on April 18, 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.
-
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.
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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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
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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.
-
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
and our Tree Planting Guide. Just call (480)
644-3306 or visit our
Arbor Day page. Arbor Day is Friday April 27th and Mesa
will have tree plantings and more.
-
Save water by using Mesa swimming pools this summer
instead of filling up your inflatable pools. It only
cost $2 for youth and $4 for adults for a day of swimming.
Learn more about
Mesa's public swimming pools.
-
Turn in your unwanted and expired medications at the April
28 Prescription Drug Drop-Off Event
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central Police Station - 120 N
Robson; Red Mountain Police Station - 4333 E. University
Dr.; Superstition Police Station - 2430 S. Ellsworth or the
Target store at 1230 S. Longmore. Never flush your
prescription drugs as it can contaminate water supplies.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
EVERY DAY
| Living Green Events: Earth-Friendly Advice for Home
& Garden |
The aim of the "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. The City will feature any events and
activities going on around the City. 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
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