THIS YEAR MAKE EARTH DAY, APRIL 22ND, A FAMILY AFFAIR

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THIS YEAR MAKE EARTH DAY, APRIL 22ND, A FAMILY AFFAIR
Tips On Getting Kids Excited About Greening Our Planet Earth

WOODSTOCK, NY, April 22, 2008 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- This April 22nd marks the 38nd annual Earth Day, a national American and now global expression of public will bringing together environmental activists and the community at large, to foster respect for the planet and help create a sustainable society. Tom Kay and Marianne Schnall, co-founders of one of the oldest and largest environmental portals on the Internet, the EcoMall, (www.ecomall.com ), urge parents and educators to celebrate and appreciate the environment at a grassroots level with activities ranging from purchasing organic food staples to planning a community Earth Day event with the help of local schools.

"Earth Day is a great opportunity for parents to reinforce positive, meaningful events with their children," said Kay. "This one-day observance can evolve into a year-round lifestyle choice for conscientious families wishing to do good for themselves while taking care of their community and environment. Most importantly, parents and educators can use Earth Day as a means of encouraging earth-friendly habits and deeds in their everyday lives."

Marianne Schnall, co-founder of the EcoMall said, "The children are indeed our future, and if we can instill environmental awareness in them at an early age, it can set the stage for enlightened habits that last a lifetime. Plus, teaching children to become aware of our natural world is something that reinforces our interdependence with the Earth, our home - and with each other, our human family."

The EcoMall suggests that parents and educators consider the following environmentally conscious activities to celebrate Earth Day:

Appreciate the Earth: Wake early, take a morning walk with your children and watch the sunrise. Breathe in the morning air and focus on the natural world around you. Reflect on the things that you love about the earth. Write in your journal, make up a story, draw a picture, write a poem. Think about how you as a family can preserve and keep the earth in good health.

Make an Earth-Day Pledge: Sit down with your family and come up with earth-friendly resolutions you can all keep. Examples could be to start recycling and purchasing recycled products, make the change to non-toxic cleaners and pesticides, purchase organic produce, bike to school or work, or become vegetarians.

Arrange a Special Earth Day Action in Your Own Community: Plant a tree or organize an Earth Day clean up - supply bags and pick a park, street, or other public area and clean it up. Host a recycling event or organize a drop off site for toxic materials such as batteries and paint cans. Set up a table in a public place and let people know how you feel about taking care of the earth. Set up a compost demonstration alongside a plant sale.

Beautify Your Schools: Participants can prepare garden beds and children can plant flowers at a later date. Have volunteers bring garden tools. Ask for landscaper and Master Gardener volunteers to help oversee this project. Plant a tree at the school.

Green Your Schools: Talk to school administrators about changing over to non-toxic cleaners and building products, serving organic milk, food and juice, and using recycled, non-toxic school supplies. Have your school conduct an energy audit. Ask them to incorporate environmental themes and activities into the school’s curriculum.

Organize an Eco-field Trip: Plan a trail walk through a park, a visit to a nature center, organic farm, science museum, your local recycling plant, landfill, or water reservoir.

Plan an Earth Day Event: Write and perform an Earth Day play, organize an Earth Day Music Concert or Earth Day Art Show. Have an Eco-Fashion show, demonstrating clothes made from hemp and organic cotton. Organize an organic picnic - invite friends for lunch in the park on the grass with only organic foods. Get the local schools involved in their own special events with the kids. Your school can make a sculpture of recycled materials, or individual classes or individual children can create their own recycled art projects. Create an Earth Day mural.

Support Pro-Earth Groups: Plan an Earth Day walk-a-thon or clean-up-a-thon. Take financial pledges from people to sponsor you for each mile you walk or each garbage bag you fill. Donate the money to a reputable environmental agency or use the money for local beautification. Adopt a park, playground, or street. Adopt an endangered animal from an environmental organization.

Shop Green: Use your purchasing power to support environmentally friendly companies and products by doing your shopping on-line, which cuts out pollution from car travel and the waste of paper catalogs. To browse hundreds of earth-friendly companies offering everything from non-toxic household cleaners, organic and hemp clothing, natural body care, energy efficient products to recycled paper and more, check out the EcoMall (www.ecomall.com) web site.

Reduce Waste: Clean out your closets and bring things that you no longer need to a thrift shop. Don't throw things away! Instead, have a swap meet and trade clothes, toys, and books with your friends. Make a list of disposable items that you can do without. Take a grocery store tour and learn how to purchase products that have little or no packaging, organic produce, and products made of recycled materials.

Take Action! Write a letter with your children to the President or your local, state or federal government representatives asking them to focus on a particular environmental issue. Write to a corporation and congratulate them on their "good" environmental practices or ask them to clean up their act.

Visit www.ecomall.com many more ideas, articles, information and resources. EcoMall Co-Founders Tom Kay and Marianne Schnall are available for interviews, and are experts on incorporating a more environmentally aware lifestyle, as well as offering earth day tips.

Also see EcoMall's other Earth Day features for more ideas:

THIS EARTH DAY USE YOUR GREEN DOLLAR BY SHOPPING AT THE ECOMALL
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/greendollar.htm

10 EASY THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE EARTH http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/10easythings.htm

GIVE THANKS TO THE EARTH ON EARTH DAY, APRIL 22ND
http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/givethanks.htm

Since its launch in November 1994, the EcoMall has provided educational articles, a comprehensive selection of environmental companies, products and services, exclusive interviews with celebrities and more. The EcoMall offers a voice to America's sustainable business industry, featuring over 300 retailers and wholesalers in over 60 shopping categories, links to government education, non-profit groups, environmental news, activism alerts, as well as the EcoMall's popular “Green Living Magazine”. 2008 marks the EcoMall’s 14th year on the Internet.

http://www.ecomall.com/