By Joyce Blumenshine

Spring is coming and with that the annual Forest Park Nature Center Earth Day celebration which will be Saturday, April 20th, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please stop by and say hi at the Heart of Illinois Group table that day and let us know what your interests are. A variety of other events will be happening throughout the month.

HOI Group member Robert Rowe talks to visitors at the 2023 Earth Day celebration at Forest Park Nature Center. Photo: Joyce Blumenshine

April is a great time to assess your household and personal earth care: can you change your cleaning and yard products to reduce your environmental impacts? Embrace the beauty of dandelions and give bees a chance by ending all lawn chemical applications. Consider an electric or battery run lawn mower and yard tools to reduce your carbon-fuels burden on our environment. Choose cleaning and personal care products that are biodegradable and non-toxic, in recyclable or reusable containers. Please make every effort to combine trips to reduce your driving. Above all, get out and enjoy nature and feel encouraged that you can make a difference. There is a huge gap between where we need to be in reducing our carbon-based fuels and products use to where we must be to stop the very worst future for our planet from disastrous climate change.