Two Events Are Better Than One

The first major decision regarding my action project, organizing an Earth Day event in my neighborhood, is selecting the date.  I learned from Bill, the President of the Home Owners Association, that the next HOA event is an Easter egg hunt scheduled for Saturday, April 16.  On one hand that event would be a perfect opportunity for an Earth Day event because participation will be higher than usual, it will allow enough time for preparations, and we can use local eggs from the farmers market for the egg hunt.

However, it is also the date of Charlotte Clean and Green, which is the primary Earth Day celebration in our city.  This means that my friend Henry will not be available to bring his chickens and talk about backyard chickens keeping, and that other people who might provide “green” expertise will likely be unavailable as well.  It also means that neighborhood residents (like me) who want to attend Charlotte Clean and Green will have to choose between events.

I could select another date for the neighborhood Earth Day event, but holding two events close together will likely result in reduced attendance.  I could ask the HOA to change the date of their event, but they have already announced it in the community, which might create confusion.  Weighing the options, I have decided that there are more advantages to partnering with the HOA than there are disadvantages.

With that issue decided, imagine my chagrin to discover that the neighborhood association plans to fill plastic eggs with candy rather than using traditional colored eggs.  This caused me to wince because it is at odds with an environmentally responsible message.  However, it does present an opportunity for me to structure an activity for kids using natural dyes.  I remember one Easter my Memama (mom’s mother) forgot to purchase an egg coloring kit when my little sister and I stayed with her over the Easter holiday.  We were staying at my grandparents lake house, which was too far from any town to correct the oversight.  Memama prepared dyes with tea bags and beet juice, and we ended up with white, pink, brown, and striped eggs that year.  The funny thing is that experience stands out more than any other Easter experience in my life.  Hopefully, the experience of using natural dyes will make an impression on the kids in my neighborhood too.  And my wife has volunteered to organize this activity!