Set an Intention for Earth Month 2025
April is Earth Month, and the Earth Care Committee invites you to set an intention to help protect the beloved planet we call home.
Rather than just observing one day, this is the chance to celebrate the earth all month, to remind ourselves of her gifts and of our responsibility to her care.
How could you and your family live a little greener? What areas of your life could use an eco-upgrade? What sustainability projects have you been meaning to pick up but haven’t?
So, this Earth Month, consider making an intention to energize your commitment to a healthier planet. Pick one … or several … of these ideas and tips, put them into action in April, and then pledge to keep your new habits going throughout the year.
See which one of these intentions resonates with you!
I want a reminder to live green that’s simple and easy to remember.
Before you dispose of anything, ask yourself if the 3Rs apply: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Maybe your kitchen would allow you to up a bin for each R that makes it convenient to sort right there on the spot … a small action Mother Earth will thank you for.
I want to commit to keeping waste out of our landfills.
Climate Action Evanston has a newly revamped Beyond Waste section of their website that focuses on great solutions and resources to minimizing and redirecting waste. Scroll down to see the interactive map that shows you where to recycle or donate everything from glasses to medical equipment to work tools.
Climate Action Evanston’s website is full of great information about Repair Cafes, along with an inspiring speaker series, and more.
I want to do a better job recycling at home.
Now there’s an app for that! Download the Recycle Coach to look up thousands of materials and find which waste containers to place them in. Or find information on drop-off locations or nearby collection events.
The “What Goes Where” page on the City of Evanston website is full of specific and helpful tips so you can feel confident about exactly what can and can’t be recycled through the city’s service.
I want to learn how to reduce my carbon footprint at home and take action in my community.
Sign up for the Combating Climate Change 101 event on April 7 at 6:00 p.m. at the Evanston Public Library, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. You’ll get great tips on living more lightly on our planet and also find ways to volunteer.
I want to learn about “green” opportunities at First Church.
- Join us at 10:30 a.m. on April 6 for our Earth Sunday celebration. Our preacher at worship will be the Rev. Dr. Tim Eberhart, associate professor of Ecological Theology and Practice and Director of the Center for Ecological Regeneration at Garrett. He’ll speak on the theme “Called to be Creatures”.
- We’ll also gather at Social Justice Intersections in the dining room at 9:15 a.m. for a conversation about “God in All Things, Recovering our Spiritual Ties to the Land”.
- Save, clean and bring your Styrofoam #6 to First Church for recycling on Saturday morning April 19th between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, and on Easter Sunday April 20 in the morning before worship. The Earth Care team will deliver all donated materials to the right recycling locations for proper disposal. (If you won’t be at church that weekend, we collect Styrofoam #6 every month on the third Saturday and Sunday.)
- Check out a book from First Church Earth Care Library on two Sundays this month, April 6 and 27, in the Great Hall during community hour. Our collection has grown with new books for children, teens, and adults, many with gorgeous illustrations and photos.
- Stop by Messy Church on May 4 in the Great Hall at 9:15 a.m. The Earth Care team will lead us in various artsy activities around “being green” and brainstorm ideas First Church members of all ages can implement.
I want to dig in the soil with like-minded people.
- The folks at Edible Evanston will be digging in the yard together every Saturday morning in April at the Eggleston Park Food Forest from 10 a.m. till noon. Sign up to experience a couple of hours of fun while learning about permaculture, perennial food systems, and working with nature.
- Volunteer with Evanston Grows, a local nonprofit that raises fresh produce for those in our communities who are food insecure. The new season begins in April, and you can help out with a variety of tasks at one of six organic urban farms right here in Evanston. No experience necessary!
I want to make my community cleaner and more beautiful.
- Sign up to gather at the north side of Fountain Square for the Earth Day Cleanup in downtown Evanston on April 27 from noon to 2:00 p.m. You’ll be outfitted with gloves, bags, and maps before heading out in small groups to pick up litter and debris along your assigned corridors.
- The Alliance for the Great Lakes is sponsoring a cleanup day at Evanston’s Lighthouse Beach on April 19. You can register here to help keep that beach cleaner and safer for wildlife and humans.
I want to do something fun and educational with my children.
Stop by the Evanston Art Center on April 19 from 10 a.m. to noon to celebrate Earth Day. Enjoy painting flower pots and leave with seeds to plant and grow. Register here for this FREE event.
I want to support a teenager interested in learning more about earth care.
Let them know about the kick-off event for Climate Action Evanston’s Youth Committee! It’s happening on April 5 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at The Hub at Evanston Township High School.
I want to join others for a community gathering to refresh my spirit.
Interfaith Action’s climate subcommittee invites you to a gathering at 4:00 p.m. on April 27th in Raymond Park. You’ll come together with people of faith throughout the Evanston community to give thanks for the earth and pray for strength to be good stewards and healers on her behalf.
Illustration: yganko