City of Mesa
Home MenuEarth Day - April 22
On April 22, 2024, it will be 54 years since Earth Day began! The day reminds us about the many ways we can protect our planet to have a lasting and positive impact. In 2021, Mesa took action on climate change by adopting an aspirational Climate Action Plan with programs that prioritize renewable energy and reduced carbon emissions. We invite our community members to take action from your homes and businesses, too.
Find our 50+ earth-friendly and easy-to-implement ideas below on how you can help to create a more sustainable world... one person, one household, one neighborhood, one community at a time.
Activities You Can Do at Home
Earth-Friendly Virtual Learning
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Earth Day 2024! To preserve and protect our health and our families it’s going to take all of us - businesses, govt's, and citizens. A partnership for the planet. Find a resource library and more. |
Binge-Watch Our Landscape Videos! Check out our Water - Use It Wisely Drab to Fab Backyard Rehab 10-part Video Series to see the steps to take for installing a landscape. |
How Much Water Should You be Using? Visit our online 'Know Your H2O' Water Calculator, tell us details about your home & we’ll show you how much water you should be using indoors & out. |
Do Your Doody! Check out Sparky, our eco-spokes-dog to learn more about why it's so important to pick up pet waste in this seriously funny video. Remember, only rain in the storm drain! |
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How Much & How Often to Water! We've got the details on how to water your landscape if you have a lawn, a desert landscape, or fruit trees. Check out our interactive online guide & flipbook all Arizona focused. |
Plants for the Arizona Desert. We've got over 200 trees, shrubs, groundcovers, cacti & more featured on our plant selection site. Browse by category to find just the right plant for your landscape. |
Be Kind to a Tree! Visit our Arbor Day Page for detailed info on tree selection, planting, pruning, & care. When we take care of our trees, they take care of us providing oxygen & shade. |
Green Living Magazine is the AZ eco-conscious lifestyle magazine enlivening you to make a difference in our environment & leading you to a more sustainable you & community. |
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Plan Your Landscape Design: Visit Water - Plant It Wisely for all of the resources you need to plan, design, and install an amazing low water use landscape! Thinking about artificial turf? We've got great info to help. |
Get Free Water from the Sky! Did you know that you can harvest 400 gallons of water from 1/2" of rain? Find links & the best resources on how to capture this beneficial source & channel it to your plants. |
Water Awareness Month takes place in April & this site is overflowing with videos, ideas & activities to do in the comfort of your own home. From our friends at the Arizona Department of Water Resources! |
Monarch Haven & Reading Sanctuary! Check out our new pocket park located at Red Mountain Library. We have planted for Monarchs and other pollinators and even have a labyrinth for humans. |
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Tip Tank. Fun for all ages, this is our Water – Use It Wisely online matching game that gives great water-saving tips while you play & try to keep the fish tank full of water. Keep the fish smiling. |
Downtown Owls! Learn about how Audubon & others are helping the pint-sized burrowing owls in the Phoenix area that are threatened by development. Find viewing tips, videos & more. |
Discover the Desert Online! The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum offers fun 30-minute programs like Creatures of the Night, Animal Yoga (stretch like a snake) & Animals of AZ & much more. |
Green Business Certification. Local First Arizona has teamed up with Mesa to recognize independently owned businesses that are doing good for the planet through the AZ Green Business Program. |
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Rocky Ringtail teaches About the Environment. Games, coloring pages, & puzzles await in this Junior Buddy booklet designed for children aged 3-5. From AZ State Parks. |
Get to Know Birds with great activities you can do from home. Make a bird feeder, draw a bird, create your own bird guide. Great ideas to get kids connected to the natural world. |
Weird But True videos, games, & activities about science, animals, countries, & planets can be found at this great NatGeo Kids page. Find brain boosters, cool stuff, & more. |
Wayne Drop Adventures! Follow our Water - Use It Wisely mascot across AZ as he visits lakes, rivers, & more to explore our water sources. The guide offers Q&A, too. |
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Wild Times Digital. Phoenix Zoo creates their digital magazine for the conservation enthusiasts in all of us. From animal news, to program offerings. Sign up to have it emailed to your inbox. |
Life of a Tree. This Arbor Day Foundation interactive animation teaches how trees grow & how tree rings form & mark the passage of time. It explains in fun terms how you can read tree rings. |
Why is Coco Orange? Coco is a chameleon, but he can’t change colors. Read how he & his friends at Lizard Lick Elementary solve this mystery as they learn about air quality. Designed for Ages 4-8. |
Sounds of the Gila Monster & More. Check out these fact sheets about animals & plants of the Sonoran Desert from the Arizona – Sonora Desert Museum. Even recordings of animal sounds. |
Actions You Can Take
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Make a Positive Impact on the Planet. Find our 10 simple actions you can do now & in the future to help build a sustainable community. Rethink, support, and connect with elected officials. |
Get Cash for Grass! Convert your grass to Xeriscape – get up to $1,100 with Mesa’s Grass-to-Xeriscape program, & you’ll cut your water use in half & have a colorful landscape. |
Get Living Green News right to your inbox! Get earth-friendly advice & info each month. Visit our eNotifications page, submit your email, & select Living Green Events. |
Take Back Your Meds! Mesa offers MedReturn boxes at 4 police stations. Never flush prescription or non-prescription drugs down the toilet where they can contaminate water supplies. |
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Mow Down Pollution. Recycle your old gas powered mower & get up to $200 in vouchers towards the purchase of a new electric or battery-powered mower or other garden devices. |
Bike Maps & More! Check out our awesome bike & pedestrian program with both City & Valleywide bike maps, safety tips, bike education classes for kids, SpokeLife Mesa magazine, & more! |
Swap Shop for Mesa Residents. Our Household Hazardous Materials facility collects item that still have useful life. Find paints, fertilizers, cleaners, and propane tanks available. Limit of 15 items per household. |
Support Local Growers! Join the 'Farm To Mesa Market' now taking place on Sundays in downtown Mesa, located at 1 N. Macdonald just north of Main St. Reduce your food miles, & eat healthier. |
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Become a Landscape Watering Expert! We'll send you watering schedules & landscaping tips. Visit our eNotifications page, submit your email, & select Watering Reminder. |
Green Your Barrel! Does your landscape generate a lot of green yard waste (grass, leaves, & plant trimmings)? Recycling yard waste reduces the amount going to the landfills. Materials are turned into compost. |
Plant Some Shade! Anytime you plant a tree, you’re helping to cool our cities during the hot summers. Learn about programs that encourage tree planting & care including information on watering and pruning. |
It’s For the Birds! Take it from the experts at Audubon on how to make your yard beautiful & bird-friendly. Native plant lists available to help birds thrive right where you live - even using container gardening. |
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Create a Bird or Butterfly Garden! Have you considered making your yard a destination for wildlife? Our guide shows you the simple things you can provide like food, water, & shelter. |
Read Labels when purchasing garden or cleaning products & select those with natural or plant-based ingredients whenever possible or look for the SaferChoice label. |
Call 811 Before You Dig when planting a tree for Arbor Day or just to plant shade and fresh air for your yard! It's free and easy! An underground utility line is damaged every 6 minutes Call Bluestake |
The Stuffbrary! Library card holders can check out household items like cake pans, play or hiking equipment and more. Stuff is available at all locations, though some items are branch specific. |
Let's keep going...
We keep seeing info we'd like to share! Browse these links for more easy ways to make an impact:
Find our Earth Month activities, the history of Earth Day and great kids links on this page.
Test Your Knowledge: Take our Earth Day & Arbor Day QUIZ [PDF]!!
Watch our Do-It-Yourself Plumbing Videos. Dripping faucet? Leaky toilet? We can help!
Keep your landscape water smart with our Landscapes are Beautiful Video Series featuring Noelle Johnson (AKA, the AZ Plant Lady).
Get Crafty on Earth Day from our i.d.e.a. Museum. Find great recycled art crafts and other kid-friendly ideas to do from home.
Natural Recipes for Home & Garden We’ve created some fun & simple videos to make your home & garden environmentally friendly. Try these homemade remedies which may be alternatives to household hazardous products.
Vegetable art to print and color from Mesa Urban Garden, our downtown community garden located at 212 E. 1st Ave.
A Green & Local To-Do List for the Housebound Local First Arizona is sharing ideas for keeping busy while still making a positive impact over the coming weeks. Find info on green cleaning, gardening, a home water audit, recycling and more.
good food finder from Local First Arizona Foundation has a mission to connect consumers and food buyers with Arizona’s local food providers. This site includes a directory of local foods, great local gardening advice and more.
How to Compost in the Desert is just one of the great blogs from Eartheasy who has a mission to help improve quality of life by offering information and products for sustainable living.
Wallace Garden Story What’s the Wallace Garden? H.B. Wallace amassed more than 7,000 plants over 30 years ago in north Scottsdale. The location is no longer viable & Boyce Thompson is now showcasing the collection.
Build an Insect Activity from Desert Botanical Garden, this at-home garden activity, kids of all ages can build their very own bug. Print out activity sheets and choose from different wings, legs, and bodies.