 Originally founded in April 1970, Earth Day is now celebrated in more than 140 countries. Community events are held on or around April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
Here are a few ways you can help Take Care of Texas this Earth Day and every day:
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Take
the Pledge to Take Care of Texas. We’ll send you a free
State Park Guide and you can download a Certificate of Texas Pride. Ask your friends and family to take the pledge too!
- Organize
an Earth Day event on or around April 22 to promote awareness and
appreciation for our environment. Order free Take Care of Texas environmental
education materials to distribute at your event.
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Add animated or static widgets
to your website promoting ways to Take Care of Texas. The five versions include weekly environmental tips and
a Texas flag that will keep your page fresh and link your visitors to the ‘pledge’ to Take Care of Texas.
- Recycle
your old computers and TVs. Find out more at TexasRecyclesComputers.org and Texas RecyclesTVs.org.
- Encourage
employees where you work to sign up for a local cleanup day, a
tree-planting effort or a waterway cleanup.
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Get more involved in your
community. Check
out programs
where Texans can volunteer or just learn more about local efforts to Take
Care of Texas.
Go WILD
in Your Own Backyard! |
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Whether you own acreage, an apartment, or a basic backyard, you
can attract beautiful birds, insects, and animals by creating a habitat that
will allow Texas wildlife to thrive. Creating a backyard wildlife habitat helps
Take
Care of Texas by adding more native plants to landscapes which
provides greater food sources and shelter to Texas birds, bees, and other animals.
To create an effective wildlife habitat, provide their three basic needs: food,
shelter, and water. And since wildlife thrives in the presence of plants they
have adapted to, native plants are particularly important and vital to healthy
ecosystems, and help conserve
water and protect soil, reduce mowing costs, and save money on fertilizer
and pesticides.
Follow these four simple
steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating an oasis for wildlife in your
backyard:
Food
- Provide food for all stages of life. Birdfeeders are important at certain times of the year, however, by planting natives, you’ll provide protection, breeding habitat, and food throughout most of the seasons.
Water
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Access to clean water is one of the most important elements in caring for wildlife in your backyard habitat, especially in winter. Providing water is not limited to birdbaths, but can include wildlife ponds, fountains, and more. Save water and money by collecting rainwater for native plants and wildlife. Learn how to construct a rain barrel and more complex rainwater harvesting systems with our guides.
Shelter
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Plant a variety of native bushes, trees, and flowers that will provide safe places for wildlife to get out of the heat and cold and hide from predators. For Texas native plant lists and more about Texas native habitat, visit Earth-Kind at Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
Safe Places to Raise Young
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This might be a garden pond for toads, dragonflies, and salamanders, tree snags with cavities for birds and crevices for butterflies, wood piles, brush piles, and rock piles for lizards. The more of these elements you add to your wildlife habitat, the more wildlife will choose to raise their next generation in your backyard. Get details at Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Wildscapes Backyard Habitat Program.
Whether you’re an
urban homeowner or a rural landowner, you can help Take Care of Texas by designing
your outdoor space to imitate a real Texas wildlife habitat.
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