Today (Wednesday), April 24 was Earth Day, but conservationists from the region were not able to celebrate nature in their usual ways this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of hosting their popular Earth Day Carnival, Carroll County Conservation offered challenges through their social media pages to highlight small ways to make a big difference for the global environment. They suggested making the switch to shade-grown coffee to reduce deforestation in rain forests throughout the world or purchasing locally grown meat and produce, which generally requires significantly reduced resources and energy to produce and consume. White Rock Conservancy near Coon Rapids encouraged people to take in the joys of spring with physical distancing in mind. While the campgrounds are closed, White Rock offers great opportunities to get of the house safely. While the campgrounds have been closed per orders from the governor, hiking, biking and horse trails remain open during the day. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) also encouraged Iowans to participate in Earth Day with tips on planting your own pollinator or rain gardens, ways to reduce waste and other ideas for the family. For more information, follow the links included below.
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