In honor of Earth Day on Sunday, I wanted to give props to Seattle for their most recent project-- building a massive, edible forest just outside the city, free to the public.

Yes you read that right-- Massive. Edible Forest. Free!

The city has already broken ground on the dedicated 7 acres of land just 2.5 miles outside of Seattle. Among the trees that will be planted are apple, pear, permisson, chestnut, and walnut, and will be availble to all Seattle residents and visitors, both human and otherwise.

The hope is for the forest to eventually become completely self-sustaining. Although it will take several years to develop, people who have access to the bounty will eventually be able to enjoy the free fruits and nuts it will provide, offering healthy, natural, and environmentally-friendly foods that some families might be able to afford otherwise.

This project is believed to be the first of it's kind in the U.S. You can read more about it here.

How does your family celebrate Earth Day? While you might not be able to build a giant edible forest, there are plenty smaller-scale things you can do the help make your home more environmentally-friendly. Check out these ideas:

Earth Day is April 22nd - here are some great easy ways to celebrate with your young kids.

Earth Day is later this month and this past week while on Spring Break from preschool we visited my parents in Vancouver, Canada.  Unable to pack his 500 fire truck toys my son was all excited to play this simple bowling game and my parents' hallway was the perfect bowling alley!

April 22, 1970 was the very first Earth Day. There are a lot of 40th anniversary Earth Day freebies out there.

The sound and feel of ripping paper is satisfying , it's great fine motor skill practice for little ones, and it's fun!

1. Gather your materials. You will need some glue, scrap paper in blue and green, a paper plate - or cut a circle out of some cardboard from your recycle bin.

Since the first Earth Day 35 years ago, our concern for the environment has only gotten more intense, and the cause only more critical. “Going green” literally has become a household term, and our kids would be shocked to know there was ever a time when we didn’t recycle. But the scope of all that still needs to be done, and all that we’re capable of doing, can be overwhelming. Sometimes it just seems too much. I have found myself asking, do I really have time for this? Does this one measly recycled newspaper really make a difference?

Yes and yes.

So, I was waiting at the bus station the other day and this older woman unwraps a Werther’s Original Caramel (how perfect) and throws the wrapper on the ground. I look at her, she looks at me. I look at the wrapper on the ground, turn my head, and look at the trash can behind her. I look back at the woman, who is still staring at me, and then I glance back down at the wrapper. I think she got the point, but being as old as she was, I still had to pick up the wrapper and throw it out.