Every April 22nd we celebrate Earth Day, but how did Earth Day start? Let’s find out!
- In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day, Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles. There was no Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act.
- In the spring of 1970 Senator Gaylord Nelson, the junior senator from Wisconsin, announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to the national media. He recruited Denis Hayes, a young activist, to organize the campus teach-ins and they chose April 22, a weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize student participation. Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans to take to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development.
- Earth Day 1970 achieved a rare political alignment, enlisting support from Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, urban dwellers and farmers, and business and labor leaders. By the end of 1970, the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of other first of their kind environmental laws.
- Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as a day of action to change human behavior and create global, national, and local policy changes.
Learn more at earthday.org/history
There are many ways we can celebrate Earth Day. From planting trees to powering off your electronics when not in use, Earth Day is about taking time from our schedules to make the world a better place for us all.
With that in mind, here are a few of Plant Therapy’s favorite Earth Day Inspired DIYs!
There is nothing worse than seeing weeds usurp your garden! Fortunately, you can ditch your chemical cleaner for this fantastic Weed Killer DIY. The only items required are Clove Bud, vinegar, and salt. Fill a spray bottle with 20 oz of vinegar (two and a half cups) and add 20 drops of Clove Bud with a pinch of salt. Simply shake the bottle and spray directly onto those pesky weeds.
Essential oils are a wonderful tool to help deter outdoor pests and annoyances from invading your garden. For this DIY you will need a 4-ounce spray bottle, 4 ounces of vodka or water/witch hazel with an added preservative, and 18 drops of Citronella, Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Lavender. Finally, combine all the ingredients in your spray bottle and spray wherever needed.
Upcycling is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day! Take your almost empty essential oils and remove the white orifice reducer. Pro tip: a butter knife or our Leaf Tool can do the trick! Then fill the bottle most of the way up with Fractionated Coconut Oil, add a splash of Vodka, and stir the liquids together. Add the Reed Sticks now or put the cap back on the bottle and give it as a gift.
Any small act can truly have an impact on our environment.
Plant Therapy encourages you to celebrate in any way you can! We recommend reaching out to your local Parks and Recreation for events you can participate in.
I am going to try the garden tips this summer on my garden
I will definitely be trying the weed killer recipe. Do you have anything for fire ants?
You could try Peppermint we have heard that they don’t like Peppermint.
Great info thanks! Will try these
Everyday should be earth day.
Amazing information, great DIY ideas that you would have never thought in doing and applying it to your garden. Thanks for all of the information you put out there.
Thanks for the weed killer recipe! Just got my garden out and I love the thoughts of being chemical free!
Ohhh the weed killer recipes, I will definitely be trying them!!
Definitely going to be trying the weed killer recipe!!! Weeds are hard to keep up with here in Louisiana!
I love making the DIY projects with my grandkids
Oh I’m going to try the weed killer recipe for sure!
Has anyone used the love bud as a weed killer? That’s really interesting!
Lovely blog post! Feels like a breath of fresh air whenever I read this!
Love all the outdoor ideas!
Loved the DYI projects!
Amazing!
Awesome weed killer recipe
If I am using the witch hazel/water combo for the weed killer…what should I add for an added preservative?
With this we would recommend that you make it and use the whole bottle at the time you are spraying it. Using a preservative may have alternative effects on your garden that are unknown to us. We hope this helps!
Can’t wait to try the DIY weed killer!
I will have to try this!
Amazing recipes for weed killer and invaders
Bug spray
Luv it, adding clove bud to the list!
I love the idea of using essential oils in the garden!
I believe some of the weed killer EOs fend of pesky bugs too! Bonus!
Thank you for the weed killer info/recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
I’m intrigued by the weed killer recipe – might have to try that!
Love the ideas for weed killer, much safer too!
Would the pest deter recipe work on mosquito?
Hello! It may because it has Citronella, Peppermint, and Lemongrass. We hope this helps!
I never thought of EO’s to deter pests. I can’T wait to try it.
Now I need to add Clove to my order to try the weed killer, can’t wait!
I’ll definitely try the weed killer
Interesting facts!
Interesting! I never thought of using EO to deter pest from my garden. Some beetles have been eating most of my crops in the last two years. I will give your recipe a try this year.
Great post. Articles that have meaningful and insightful comments are more enjoyable, at least to me. It’s interesting to read what other people thought and how it relates to them or their clients, as their perspective could possibly help you in the future.
Good DIY ideas! Also appreciated the history of the Earth Day’s origin; inspiration as what individuals can influence to help sustain a better environment for use all.
Thank you for the weed killer recipe! Cannot wait to tackle the weeds, they love to take over the front landscaping, but not this year!