Earth Day took place on Thursday, April 22nd.
What did you do to celebrate Mother Earth?!
Here at Ricca, we have many individuals who are passionate about saving the planet and making our world a greener and cleaner place to live, so we thought we’d give you a small glimpse into how we celebrated.
Kerri Fitzgerald, Principal, contributed to Earth Day by cleaning up a beach in her hometown on Cape Cod Bay in Massachusetts. Kerri and her husband spent the day picking up trash, debris, and old rope-and-buoy fishing equipment that had washed ashore. Kerri is not only passionate about getting outside and putting in the hard work to clean up, but also about raising awareness for clean oceans and healthy marine wildlife. The duo supports two local conservation organizations that research and protect whales, dolphins, and sharks that share their local waters.
Jenny Edwards, Associate, participated in multiple Earth Day activities to help clean-up and spread awareness. She hiked along Bear Creek on Lair O’the Bear, a very popular hiking trail outside of Denver, focusing her efforts on retrieving any trash floating in or along the water. She also aimed to inspire and educate future generations of Earth stewards by volunteering at her daughter’s daycare to teach them about recycling and how to recognize recycling symbols on packaging. Finally, her and her daughter did some Earth Day projects at home. They planted vegetable and flower seeds for a home garden and are excited to care for and harvest their veggies throughout the summer. They also built a birdhouse for their yard, which has already attracted chickadees. Birds play a dynamic role in nature and by providing them protection from predators, warmth during cold months, and a place to raise their young, it allows the chain of natural events to continue occurring. Benefits from birds include breeding, soil fertilization, pest control, weed control, biodiversity, seed dispersal, and many more.
Ted Doyals, Principal, celebrated Earth Day by planting six new trees on his property in Texas. Earlier this year, he also started seedlings for Texas Oak and Magnolia trees, both of which have sprouted. His 27 Magnolias and 16 Live Oaks will also be planted in the next few weeks. Trees play a vital role in benefiting the environment, including reducing climate change, purifying the air, creating shade and reducing temperatures, providing shelter for wildlife, reinforcing soil, and acting as a renewable energy source.
We would like to send a big thank you to all our Ricca team members who participated in any Earth Day activities and those who enact green practices. Greener changes can easily be incorporated into everyday life. Turning off lights after leaving a room, composting food waste, picking up trash on a daily walk, eating less meat, using less paper/plastic products, and using natural cleaning products are all small ways to start making an immediate difference. Can you incorporate a few to help us live everyday like Earth Day?