EARTH DAY: Today is the 54th Earth Day — but shouldn’t every day be one where we’re mindful of the planet where we live?

We checked https://www.almanac.com/content/earth-day-date-activities-history to see what sorts of things we can do to help.

Select pollinator-friendly plants, ones that attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

Clean up plastic in your neighborhood and recycle what you can.

Spend some time in a park or green space. Around here, that’s easy to do. Earth Day is in National Parks Week, so maybe plan a trip to the Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia, the Flight 93 National Memorial of Shanksville or one of so many other national parks in the U.S.

Plant a tree. “Did you know that planting one oak tree brings in more insect and bird species than an entire yard of plants?”

Use wildflowers and native plants.

Reduce, reuse and recycle, in every aspect of life, including in the garden. Buy in bulk when you know you’ll need a lot of topsoil, mulch, compost or other materials. Reuse old plastic pots and trays.

Stop using chemicals in the ground. Conserve water.

How about some fun ways to celebrate? Climb a tree, go geocaching, decorate some rocks and leave them for others to find. Leave your car at home and walk, bike or use public transit, or even carpool to work.

Organize a river cleanup, or participate in a local one. Get involved with a local conservation organization, like McKean County Conservation District.

Buy only what you need and shop sustainably, with reusable bags instead of plastic ones.

These all seem like little steps, but if everyone took part, it could make a big impact.