Taking Action Toward a Healthy Earth Every Day

In 1970, Earth Day was created to bring awareness to the far-reaching impacts of human activity on the natural environment—to start an international conversation about the state of our planet and our role in caring for it. At Murraysmith + Quincy, the Environment branch of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program focuses on this same goal—but instead of a single day, we strive to do this each and every day, all year long. Together, we practice sustainable engineering and incorporate business practices that will hopefully protect the natural environment for generations to come.

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day, and while we aren’t able to come together in person to rally around an Earth Day activity, members of the Murraysmith + Quincy community have been creatively incorporating environmentally friendly practices into their daily lives. Here are some ways our team is prioritizing earth care from home (feel free to give them a try!):

1. Join the EcoChallenge—it may have started on April 1^st, but it’s not too late to get in on these inspiring actions. Sign up and see what our team has been up to!
2. Prepare a list of flowers to plant that are pollinator-friendly.
3. Pick up trash around your neighborhood (just don’t forget to keep a safe distance from others).
4. Try a “no trash day” at home to see if you can avoid making any garbage for a whole day (or more). Keep any trash you make in a small jar to measure your progress!
5. Go natural! Turn off the lights and use the sun as your reading lamp.
6. Start a compost heap for your garden to eliminate food waste and feed the earth (and yourself). Or research whether your City provides a composting program.
7. Try to cut down on your water consumption—turn off the water while you wash dishes, brush your teeth, and scrub your hands.
8. Explore your surroundings and draw or journal about all the plants and animals you share your home with.
9. Build a bird feeder or a bug hotel to provide habitat for pollinators.
10. Buy locally grown or sourced food.

Incorporating these actions into our daily lives not only benefits the planet, but also supports our mental and physical health—something that’s more important than ever as we face the impacts of COVID-19. By engaging in these Earth Day activities, we can invest in our well-being as individuals while bringing awareness to the environmental challenges facing our local communities or cities. Each step, big or small, will help us reach a more sustainable, more equitable future.

“All storms pass. It’s how we weather them that matters.” –Jimmy Chin