Earth Day is coming. Here's how you can celebrate it in Indianapolis and at home

Karl Schneider, Indianapolis Star
·4 min read
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Earth Day 2024 is Monday, and Hoosiers have plenty of options around the state to get out and celebrate.

Unlike some holidays, Earth Day can be celebrated year-round in Indiana with volunteer opportunities, landscaping hacks and home projects all aligned with becoming better stewards of the natural environment.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting team publishes hundreds of articles each year, and to help Hoosiers celebrate Earth Day any day, here are 10 stories that Hoosiers can take with them to become stewards of their backyard environment.

Earth Day Indy: What to know about the upcoming day that celebrates protecting our home

How to build an owl box and where to put them

A barred owl, dubbed Shakespeare, sits in a tree at Eagle Creek Park a day after 9-10 inches of snow dumped onto the area, Indianapolis, Sunday, March 25, 2018.
A barred owl, dubbed Shakespeare, sits in a tree at Eagle Creek Park a day after 9-10 inches of snow dumped onto the area, Indianapolis, Sunday, March 25, 2018.

When boxes are built and set up correctly, they provided beneficial shelter to three owls found in Indiana. The Eastern screech owl, barn owl and barred owl all find and utilize these nests if no suitable trees are around.

Want to have owls in your yard?: Here's how to build an owl box and where to put it

Swap out your lead bullets

Regular firearm deer hunting season kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 in Michigan, as buck pole event organizers in Livingston County prepare for people to show off the bucks they bag and compete for prizes.
Regular firearm deer hunting season kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023 in Michigan, as buck pole event organizers in Livingston County prepare for people to show off the bucks they bag and compete for prizes.

Lead can be very toxic to Indiana's wildlife, even in tiny doses, and lead shot and bullets are regularly used throughout different seasons. Bald eagles and other animals that eat the leftovers from game carcasses can ingest lead and suffer from poisoning, so Indiana DNR is asking hunters to find another type of round.

Get the lead out: Lead shot in deer carcasses is toxic to eagles, other animals. DNR wants hunters to change

How to ID and destroy spotted lanternflies, one of Indiana's invasive species

Spotted lanternflies are gaining a foothold in portions of Indiana, and the state DNR along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have been asking Hoosiers to report sightings and stomp out the spread. The species can devastate agricultural crops as their populations increase.

Stomp the spread: How to ID and destroy the spotted lanternfly, one of Indiana's invasive species

Volunteer to plant trees or pick up litter with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

Keep Indianapolis Beautiful offers a variety of events and resources throughout the city. Join volunteers to plant trees or pick up litter in your neighborhood and haul away illegal dumping grounds.

Free supplies: Want to join the fight against litter? Here's how to get started and snag free supplies

Visit public lands and remove invasive plants

Scouts and others in a group of about 40 volunteers spent the morning spent cutting down Asian bush honeysuckle, an invasive species, along the White River in Noblesville, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. The removal by volunteers is part of a larger plan to get rid of invasive species and replant natives to help waterway restoration efforts.
Scouts and others in a group of about 40 volunteers spent the morning spent cutting down Asian bush honeysuckle, an invasive species, along the White River in Noblesville, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. The removal by volunteers is part of a larger plan to get rid of invasive species and replant natives to help waterway restoration efforts.

Weed Wrangles are a nationwide effort to remove invasive plant species from state and local parks. These plants can choke out native ecosystems and kill off beneficial native plants. DNR and KIB both offer wrangles, so keep an eye on their event calendars for a good opportunity.

Weed Wrangles: What to know about removing Indiana invasive plants

Find ways to reduce the amount of waste in Hoosier households

Piles of trash wait to be taken to a landfill at the Republic Recycling processing facility in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.
Piles of trash wait to be taken to a landfill at the Republic Recycling processing facility in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020.

Reducing waste at home can be a big task, and one of the best ways to get started is with small, incremental changes. Hoosiers can also ask local lawmakers to consider Extended Producer Responsibility laws that focuses on manufacturers and supply chains to do their part.

Be less trashy: How can Hoosiers help reduce the amount of waste they generate?

Participate in No Mow May to help protect pollinators

A pollinator meadow in the orchard with work by Corey Robinson connects with the Lume Indianapolis, Featuring Monet & Friends Alive, on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis.
A pollinator meadow in the orchard with work by Corey Robinson connects with the Lume Indianapolis, Featuring Monet & Friends Alive, on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis.

Treat yourself to a few weekends off from pushing a mower around. Letting your yard grow a little wild can help pollinators and beneficial insects collect the foods they need to maintain healthy populations. When your neighbors complain, just tell them they can take the day off yard work, too.

Dandelion defenses: What is 'No Mow May' and should you do it? It could help save our pollinators

Join the Gripper Gang: Indy’s litter-fighting collective

Initiation to the Gripper Gang involves a 5-gallon bucket, a grip extender and maybe some decent walking shoes. This unofficial and decentralized "gang" roams neighborhoods picking up trash from the streets. Some post their deeds on Reddit, but going about the benevolent deed can be done without the virtual element, too.

Indy's litter brigade: New gang roaming the streets of Indianapolis is targeting ... litter? Meet the 'Grippers.'

Setup a beehive in your backyard

Kate Franzman is the president of Bee Public, which promotes urban bee farming and bee preservation by helping manage bee hives scattered around Indianapolis.
Kate Franzman is the president of Bee Public, which promotes urban bee farming and bee preservation by helping manage bee hives scattered around Indianapolis.

There's lot of benefits to keeping bees, from sweet honey, to beeswax that's all yours to mind. The buzzing pollinators are a safe and friendly addition to help pollinate local gardens, too.

Bzzzzzzzzz: Can your neighbor keep swarms of bees? Here's the buzz on a proposed law

Replace ornamental landscaping with butterfly gardens

Just like the bees above, butterflies are wonderful additions to local and regional ecosystems. It's easy to set aside a bit of your garden to plant milkweeds and other butterfly-friendly plants.

Backyard monarchy: How can I attract butterflies to my yard or garden?

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 10 ways Hoosiers can celebrate Earth Day