Spring brings two important observances for our natural world: Earth Day on April 22nd and Arbor Day on April 30th. Both are days to help us remember to help keep the Earth healthy and happy, so we will have a clean environment to pass on to future generations.

Earth Day is a day to celebrate the world we live in and all who inhabit it. The first Earth Day was celebrated on March 21st on the Vernal Equinox in 1970, also the first day of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Fall in the Southern Hemisphere. The United Nations in New York and Vienna ring their Peace Bells every year at the same time in honor of this day to remind us of our duty to keep the world we live in peaceful and clean. This year, the bells will ring at 1:49 AM EST.

Some great ways to observe Earth Day is by making sure your family is doing its part to not create waste by recycling, saving resources by not wasting water or electricity and keeping your home, neighborhood and town clean and beautiful. By teaching and showing our children how to conserve our natural resources, we will help to ensure the World we leave them with is in great shape for them and their children.

For more ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day, check out these sites with ideas for projects and ways to help: Earth Day Network, International Earth Day, KidsDomain: Earth Day, The Rainforest Site and The Rainforest Site: Gear That Gives.

Arbor Day was created by the state of Nebraska. Pioneers moving into the state missed the trees from their homes back east. One man in particular, who happened to be a journalist, decided to start writing about the lack of trees and shared information on how to plant new ones in the area. This man was J. Sterling Morgan from Detroit, Michigan. He and his wife loved nature and soon had their new home surrounded with trees and other plants. Other pioneers in the area wanted to join them, and everyone began to fill the area with foliage. In 1872, the first Arbor Day took place and it was made an official holiday in 1885.

Trees are not just beautiful, but they also serve an important function. They are needed for shade, windbreaks, fuel and building material. Without trees, we would not have much of the furniture in our home. We would not have a cool spot in our yard to sit on a hot summer day, and we would not be able to stay warm and dry during the winter months.

To learn more about the holiday and ways you can join in helping keep the Earth filled with beautiful trees, check out these sites filled with great information: The National Arbor Day Foundation, ArborDay.net and KidsDomain: Arbor Day.

Julie lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two sons. She loves nature and is proactive in helping to reduce her family's strain on our planet with her near-obsessive compulsion of recycling, replacing all lightbulbs with CFLs, constant reminders for her family to turn off lights and water, and planting trees she orders with her Arbor Day Foundation membership since moving into their new house.