Honey Creek Resort – The Naturalist's Corner

When most people think of Earth Day, they think of planting trees and recycling. Whereas these activities are certainly great ways to show appreciation for the Earth, there are other wonderful ways to show you care.

The famous phrase that’s been ingrained into all of our minds from a young age is reduce, reuse, recycle. All three of these words seem pretty self-explanatory, yet if we take time to consider them, we may discover other simple ways to celebrate Earth Day.

Let’s start with Reduce. Seems easy enough, reduce the amount of materials we use and the waste they create. When purchasing items, think of buying quality, not quantity. Why buy a bunch of toys or clothes that won’t last long when you can get a few which are better quality and last longer? Also, consider packaging when purchasing. When given the choice, opt for merchandise that is simply packaged instead of ones with tons of packaging. Not only can these be frustrating to get into, but why create all the waste? Lastly, consider reducing the amount of gas you use and shop locally.

Reuse is possibly my favorite “R”. This can go far beyond using cloth napkins instead of paper or writing on the back sheet of paper before putting it into the recycling bin. Of course, it’s always a good idea to cut back on disposable products where ever possible. But think about the endless possibilities of recreating old materials into something new. The internet is full on wonderful ideas of ways to take old, seemingly useless items and giving them new life. In fact, this idea has become so popular over the past few years (possibly one of the only good things to come out of a slow economy) that terms like “upcycled” and “repurposed” are extremely common in the crafting community. Okay, I hear you saying you’re not a crafter. The good news is that crafters don’t always have these items on hand and are willing to buy them! Want to make some money? Sell them at a garage sale or online. Don’t care about the money and don’t want to be troubled with it? Instead of putting them into a bag for the garbage, put them into a donation bag for second-hand stores.

Lastly we have recycling – the most famous “R” of the three. Cans, bottles, paper, plastics, and cardboard are all recyclable. It takes less energy and resources to recycle old items into new than it does to create from scratch. If that’s not enough reason, think about where these items will end up. Why send them to a landfill when it’s just as easy to send them to the recycling plant? In addition, think of buying recycled products whenever possible. Is recycled paper any less usable because it’s recycled?

As a Naturalist at Honey Creek Resort State Park I like to make it fun and easy to be kind to the environment. And what could be more fun than supporting your local vendors! Rubbish to Riches, the Resort’s Earth Day Celebration, will feature products from local vendors including crafts, upcycled items, and rummage sale items. The fun starts at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, April 22 and ends at 4:00 p.m. During the day participate in one of our low fee “Make and Take” classes to learn fun ways to upcycle at home. Like what you learned? Check out our local vendors and see if they have items you can repurpose! To learn more about this event or reserve a vendor table contact Hannah Wiltamuth E-mail or call 641-724-1490.