Volunteer Locally for Earth Day 2011!

With pollution and the threat of global warming still hanging over our planet; it's the responsibility of every global citizen to help keep the world a clean and beautiful place, not only for this generation, but the many that will hopefully follow it. It's a new spring and April 22nd is right around the corner. What are you doing for your planet today? Earth Day is a time to reflect on just what every person can do to try and counteract the amount of damage being inflicted on our little spot in the galaxy. Take an opportunity this spring to give Mother Earth a little relief from the constant beating she's taking. If you're looking for an place to volunteer your time in service to the planet, there are many resources available to point you in the right direction. Three different places in particular struck my fancy as novel ways to give back to the environment.

In the Solano County area, you can blow a few hours of energy around the Earth Day season right by volunteering right near your own backyard. Look no further then The California State Parks Foundation. They have a slew of locations in California where you can expend your planetary efforts. Close to Fairfield, California is a clean-up that is one of many sponsored by the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. Go To http://www.calparks.org/programs/earth-day/earth-day-2011-locations.html and find the clean-up project at the Benicia State Recreation Area. You are recommended to register online for one of the 75-100 slots they have available, and then all you have to do is show up ready to work. Details for what to bring and for the check-in location can be found at the link above. Choose from this volunteer program or a host other Northern California Earth Day activities you can register for. But hurry, many of these work sites have a limited number of volunteers allowed.

Not in the mood for a day of intense labor in the early-spring sun? Just take you and your family and have a little fun instead, all while learning about conservation, ecology, and a common goal of uniting the planet for good. Take a lazy Sunday on April 10th, and liven it up at the 23rd Annual Stockton Earth Day Festival. Spend your time dancing to drumbeats and sampling the local vendors, or exercise your civic duties by volunteering at the event. Help is needed for everything from morning setup to recycling areas, and clean-up crew. For more information about volunteering for this event go to http://www.livegreensanjoaquin.org/volunteer.htm.

If none of these standard Earth Day activities appeal to you, and you want to take the grassroots approach. Why not get a few friends together and organize your own Earth Day event? All you need is a few willing hands, a great idea, and a little ingenuity. Know of a place that is suffering from littering and could use a good sprucing up, or want to start a recycling project? Look no further then A Billion Acts of Green; a do-it-yourself take on keeping our planet safer and cleaner one person at a time. Sponsored by the Earth Day Network; this nifty little resource puts you in the driver's seat of environmental awareness, and allows you to enlist the help of random volunteers who are interested in your event straight from the internet. When you post an event, they call it an Act of Green and your deed is counted right along with millions of others all over the world. For more information check out: http://www.earthday.org/. While you're there, be sure to measure the effects of your global footprint by taking a test at http://files.earthday.net/footprint/index.html.