A what?

Have you ever grabbed a piece of trash on a trail or sidewalk while you were jogging or moved a sluggish turtle across a busy road? Pat yourself on the back. Those are random acts of eco-kindness. I’m borrowing the term from ESPN Outdoors journalist Gregg Patterson, who celebrated Earth Day by planting an oak seedling at Shelby Farms Park. You can read about his experience and his thoughts on tree planting here.

As for your Earth Day Celebrations, I hope that you were able to join us at Shelby Farms Park for the Down to Earth Celebration at Shelby Farms Park on April 20. We had 12,000-15,000 visitors over the course of the day who enjoyed live music, kids’ crafts, food, kite flying, pony rides, park tours, trail hikes, films and vendors booths. Volunteers planted trees and shrubs, installed benches, applied sealant to picnic tables, and created a new sandbox for the playground. We’re already thinking of ways to make next year’s celebration bigger, better and greener.
So, let’s hear it. Have you ever performed a random act of eco-kindness?

Photo above: Proud parents of a newly adopted buffalo at the Down to Earth Celebration.