Earth Day, Apr. 22, is just around the corner. This is a day where people give back to the Earth no matter how big or small. Many people engage with the day by picking up trash, using less water, or planting a tree. However, as soon as the day is over, people forget about helping the Earth – and why it is so important to do so. 

There are small ways to get involved for Earth Day in your community and at school. A simple to get involved at school is to participate in the Environmental Club’s “Earth Week” which started Mon., Apr. 17. 

Hayden Kissell is a sophomore in Environmental Club. “The purpose of Earth Week is to make people at State High Excited and interested in learning what is happening with the environment and to make people more conscientious of how they are impacting the environment,” Kissell said. 

Activities are planned throughout the week. For example, a Jeopardy board with questions about the Earth will be out at all lunches Tuesday through Friday. With a correct answer, one’s name is entered to a raffle. Pledges are also available at lunches, where candy is received for writing about personal environmental actions.

Many are unsure where to start. Junior at State High and club leader Odessa Gregor said, “Thinking about how in your everyday life you can help the earth is important, so the pledges can be anything that seems reasonable for the person doing it”

It is important to not only participate in the club’s plans for the week, but to listen to information and find ways to incorporate it into every day life. It doesn’t have to be something big—not everyone can plant a tree or pick up trash everyday, but it isn’t hard to be more mindful in daily life.

In addition to being involved with school plans to celebrate Earth Day there are many ways to get involved with the community. One way is by volunteering for the Annual Watershed Cleanup, take a Pollinator and Bird Garden Tour at the Arboretum, or enjoy some Earth Arts and Crafts at the Sidney Friedman Park. All of the mentioned activities can be found on the State College Borough website.

The environment needs more than just one day for people to show their love. Developing environmentally sound habits in day to day life is a big help. Said habits don’t have to be grand, they can be simple things like using the metal silverware at school instead of plastic, or using reusable bags for groceries, or using both sides of the paper when you are taking notes in class. 

Gregor reminds people why it’s important to care about more than just one day. “Instilling a level of care for the Earth is really important for our generation because we can make or break how things with climate change work out. So it’s really important for people to know it’s not too late to care about the environment and it’s something that needs to be done,” Gregor said.

Just one person can’t change the entire world and it may seem like individual actions have limited influence. Nonetheless, protecting the environment is a pressing issue, for younger generations in particular.