Earth Day Turns 50: Celebrating Half a Century of Environmental Education and Awareness

On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans joined together in protest of environmental disasters that afflicted the nation and spurred public outrage. Twenty million people flooded streets and swarmed college campuses to form a unified response to a planet in crisis. Thus, Earth Day was officially established. It has been 50 years since Earth Day became part of our cultural ethos. What started as a spontaneous grassroots movement grew into a global celebration and is now considered the world’s largest civic event. Read our blog for ways your association can celebrate this historic day and reduce your carbon footprint to promote environmental stewardship in your community.

Organize a Spring Cleaning Event

A designated cleanup day is a great way to raise environmental awareness while sprucing up the grounds of your association. It can be as simple as picking up and disposing of trash or debris left over from last year to minor maintenance of association common areas and/or items such as benches. One of our Plymouth associations organizes residents to paint their property’s fire hydrants. Another association in Minneapolis rents dumpsters for residents to clean and de-clutter their space. So, go green and clean this Earth Day. It’s productive and fun.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Three great ways to help your community and save the environment is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The amount of waste generated and put back into the environment directly affects the health of our planet. Incorporating these three activities into your association’s best practices can have a positive impact by saving energy, our precious natural resources, and money. Although there are always questions about what residents can and cannot recycle, we encourage our boards to educate their community about what is recyclable, what can be discarded, and what can be donated. Even the smallest effort can make a big difference.

Plant a Community Garden

Another way to support sustainability is to plant a community garden. Community gardens are communal spaces that are cultivated and cared for by multiple people, either in individual lots, seating areas, or play areas. Types of gardens can include raised garden beds, rain gardens, flower beds, and larger fruits and vegetable plots. One of our senior living cooperatives in Minneapolis created a raised garden bed for their community. Residents grew vegetables and flowers, which provided fresh produce for everyone to enjoy as well as improved the air quality around the area. Another association located in St. Louis Park created a rain garden for their residents. Rain gardens can help the environment by absorbing runoff and removing pollutants before the water reaches the storm drain. If you think your community could benefit from a communal garden, contact your association’s board of directors.

Celebrate Earth Day from a Distance

April 22, 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. However, due to COVID-19, this year’s celebration will be a little different as all organized group events, activities, and community celebrations have been cancelled. But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate this historic day. Develop a recycling program for your community; introduce a system to track energy consumption; plant a tree; or simply educate those around you on the perils of climate change from a safe six-foot distance.

The importance of environmental awareness and education, as well as being agents of change, cannot be overstated. Omega Property Management is here to support your efforts. For more information or if you have questions, please contact our customer service team. Together we can make a difference for the planet.