Today is Earth Day, and opportunities abound to teach your children how to appreciate and take care of the natural resources that surround us. 

From planting trees to creating ladies' handbags fashioned from tire tubes and gum wrappers, going “green” isn't just about the latest cleaning product on the supermarket shelves. For individuals, it may include planting a garden so children can appreciate the fruits of the earth and the work that goes into it, deciding which bags to use at the grocery stores to eliminate waste in the landfills, and recycling the cans and bottles and papers that leave the house so materials don't go to waste. That's just for starters. 

After reading an article about how little material is actually reused at the recycling plants, I became disillusioned with the whole process several years back. I started throwing out everything via trashbag. When I started taking more care with our finances, I realized that I was running out of trashbags quickly and that I needed to recycle again so my trashcans wouldn't be so full. The desire to recycle stemmed directly from frugal penny pinching. 

When I restarted recycling, I became more intimately aware of the resources in our home and started asking myself some thought-provoking questions:

“What do I have that I can reuse?”

“What do I have that someone else can reuse?”

“What needs to be eliminated so that I can see what I have?”

“How can I better organize what I have so that I can use it more efficiently?”

“What can I grow in my yard that will feed our family and cost less than buying at the grocery store? 

Several projects stemmed from those questions that anyone can try:

1. Operation Closet Clean-out: Sell, donate or repurpose your unused closet contents.
    
2. Pantry Sweep: Clear out your food cupboards of impulse purchases that have been unused but haven't expired. Donated it to a food pantry in your area.
    
3. Gardening 101: Learn to grow berries and vegetables. In addition to completing your meals, they make great gifts to family and friends, either fresh or baked into breads and pies.
    
4. Community Service Projects: Look around to see what groups are cleaning open areas in the community or planting trees.
    
5. Nature Walks: Get out and find outdoor activities that infuse your children with an appreciation of nature.

This year, we are taking baby steps towards a garden. I was waiting until our deck was built to plant anything but with finances tight, the deck has not been built. I realized that I can't let that stop my desire to save money growing our own produce so we tilled a corner behind the house and we are taking the green thumb plunge. Though my dad planted vegetables when I was growing up, I am trying strawberries and raspberries because I can't seem to let go of my sweet tooth no matter what I do. 

Because kids need to see you participating if they are going to take respecting the world around them seriously, don't let their schools do all the “green” educating.

Be there, do it, and enjoy the fresh air.