YOUR TURN: Celebrating spring and Earth Day in Gaston County
It’s that time of year where the weekend calendars get swamped. I love it but also have a lot of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out).
There are so many exciting things to do in our community in the spring: festivals, celebrations and of course, making time to get out in your yard to do your spring planting! Speaking of getting your hands dirty - there will be Black gold for sale April 19 and 20 and then again May 3 and 4 at the Duke Street Center. Black gold is composted from leaf mulch. One scoop is $15 CASH ONLY and will fill a small trailer or pick up bed - this is a great way to keep nutrients local (and not cause as much pollution in shipping). If you have additional questions about the sale, please reach out to Keep Gastonia Beautiful 704-869-1938.
What will you do with that wonderful fertile soil?
I hope you will consider planting native plants in your yard to attract pollinators and wildlife, or if you have are attempting a vegetable garden then you are eating very locally. But be careful how you read those seed packets, because we are now considered Zone 8 and no longer planting Zone 7. Analysis by NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers have shown warming across the United States on average of 3.3 degrees Fahrenheit in over 95% of the regions surveyed. This warming is linked to emissions that have trapped heat in our atmosphere. There are natural sources of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, but the excess greenhouse gases are human-created by the way of burning fossil fuels, by industrial agricultural practices and other choices we have collectively allowed as a society. Although there is a lot we can do to try to halt any more warming, we are not going to be able to “go back” to any less CO2 in the atmosphere. What’s done is done, and we simply will have to learn how to be resilient in the current warming and take increasingly more active measures to sequester additional greenhouse gas inputs. We know it’s detrimental to the planet to keep on this path. Simple ways of helping to trap carbon can be as simple as choosing to take a walk or ride a bike instead of driving.
What does that mean to you as a local gardener? You can choose varieties of plants to go in your yard to not only mitigate climate change, but also play a critical role in assisting plants to creep northward in their ranges. To learn more about climate resiliency, you can visit toolkit.climate.gov or to learn about helping plants migrate visit the USDA page and search “assisted migration.” Local resources to help you test soil, and choose plants are with our local NC Cooperative Extension Service. Their offices are located at the Citizens Resource Center in Dallas, but they also have a robust website with lots of information. Of course, we have lots of opportunities to pick up information and handouts, click on QR codes, and see live demonstrations and talk to people in person at many of the upcoming events hosted in the next few weeks.
One of my favorite celebrations, as you may have guessed, is Earth Day. Yes, it’s true that “every day is Earth Day” but really, there is one day – April 22 officially, that is celebrated as the day we take note of and make a commitment to realigning our actions to be sensitive to those non-human inhabitants here on this remarkable blue planet.
Earth Day festivities happening locally include The Schiele Museum’s Earth Day event themed “Flower Power” this year will be held inside and out. Tickets to the event are discounted to $11 for members, $15 for the public ahead of time and $18 at the door.
There is so much included you can have a full day with admission to planetarium shows that will run hourly, admission to the farm where there will be animal programs and crafts, gemstone mining, the Catawba Indian village and of course lots of vendors, tables with activities and crafts for the whole family.
If you didn’t start your seeds inside you can grab a great deal with the plant sale $5 pack of 4 seedlings including varieties of tomatoes, pepper, cucumber and squash. Additional Earth-positive activities taking place are the TuckFest happening Friday April 19 through Sunday April 21 at the Whitewater Center and mark your calendars to get rid of those household chemicals, cleaners, old gas, batteries and paint lying around in your garage on April 27 with our Household Hazardous Waste event on April 27 at 1303 Dallas Cherryville Highway, rain or shine, 8 to 11:30 a.m. Hope to see you out and about - and as always - here to answer questions or talk trash.
Becca Hurd is Gaston County's recycling coordinator.
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: YOUR TURN: Celebrating spring and Earth Day in Gaston County
