C.J. Braden • 2 Minute Read
A Poem and Earth Day Activities
With all the feel good feels that Earth Day brings to April every year, I decided it was time to post a earthy themed poem I quickly wrote in 2019. It was inspired on a day in which I was driving with my husband through downtown Atlanta, Georgia and watched a car ahead of us rolls down their window and throw out as much trash as they could.
Our Earth Day Photo Shoot
I have no idea why they felt the need to litter the earth along a dangerous road, but they did it. I guess they didn’t pay attention in school when Earth Day events happened, or they didn’t go to a school that celebrated Earth Day, or they just stopped caring when they became adults. It’s always a sad day to see someone forget all the good things they probably learned and believed in as a kid.
Celebrate Mother Earth on Earth Day
As soon as it happened, the song “No Scrubs” by TLC popped into my head. These few song verses (written by Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, former Xscape members Kandi Burruss and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and TLC member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes):
“No, I don't want no scrub
A scrub is a guy that can't get no love from me
Hangin' out the passenger side
Of his best friend's ride
Trying to holla at me”
made me first think of these people as being “scrubs”. Then I thought about it and instead of calling them scrubs, I decided to call them litterbugs, and changed the lyrics to the following:
Try this for a new mother photo shoot idea
“I don’t want no litterbugs
A litterbug can’t get no hugs from me
Throwin trash out the passenger side
Of their Atlanta ride
Makin the Earth so sad you see”
Carolyn J. Braden—5/5/19
The butterfly was a TJ Maxx find
It became more of a poem than a song, but it made creative sense to me. There are plenty of ways you can dispose of trash without having to throw it into the street. When you don’t find an appropriate trash container to put your trash in, you are not just making Mother Earth filthy, you are also potentially causing harm to animals.
We find non-live seashells on Sanibel beaches and make fun crafts. Try our quick seashell ornament tutorial below or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Marilyn Monroe is one of my fashion photo inspirations
The animals of our earth were here first. We are truly living in their world. I get so sad when I see trash floating in the oceans, lakes and rivers. Netting gets caught on fish and sea turtles, fishing line and hooks that are not disposed of properly get caught up in birds beaks and more. Living on Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida, we have seen some terrible things happen to animals when people do not dispose of their trash appropriately.
Rashguard swimsuits help protect you from the harsh sun
Hurricane Ian brought tons and tons of trash to the island, and though it will take years for Sanibel to recover, many volunteers, including myself and my husband, work daily to dispose of what we can. We carry trash bags with us on walks and pick up what we can. We like to use long handled grabber/reachers to pick up extra messy things.
The white moth or white butterfly that landed on my back
Just like in the starfish story, you can’t save all the animals, but you can make a difference to at least one. When my husband and I were creating photos for this article, I was in our pool and turned around and my husband said “Don’t move, you have a white moth on your back.” He quickly took a photo, and then we rescued it. We think it (either a white moth or a white butterfly) had flown into our pool and when it’s wings got too wet and it became too tired, it began to drown. It found a safe haven on my back when it drifted, unknowingly onto me. I truly felt like Mother Earth, as I had a golden butterfly prop in my hands.
The Sand Dollar Story
Click the button below for a free Sand Dollar Story PDF Printable
The white butterfly had some iridescent colors on it’s wings
He carefully picked up the moth and we transferred it to a sunny place in our yard so it could dry off and rest. Sure enough, the moth did just that and was fine. We know we can’t save all Mother Earth’s animals, and we know we cannot pick up every single piece of trash littering her too, but we know we can do our best to make a little difference. Mother Earth deserves it.
Beautiful white butterfly
Some more ideas on how you can help Mother Earth include using more plant based cleaners, and try to choose cruelty-free products whenever possible. Our favorite cruelty free beauty brands at the moment are Era Organics (we love their Exfoliating Face Mask) and Live Tinted (try their Hueguard 3-in-1 Mineral SPF 30). We also recommend using sustainable household cleaning tools like MaisoNovo Reusable Paper Towels. They are made with paper and wood fiber and are completely biodegradable and compostable.
Try to start buying clothes from a thrift store to promote sustainability. My husband and I joke that the world could produce no clothing for many, many years, and there still would be plenty. You understand this when you visit thrift stores. Check out how I styled clothes from a $20 thrift store challenge I did with myself on my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden or below!
Butterfly Photo Shoot Idea
No matter what you do to help Mother Earth, take it one day at a time and please, I beg of you, teach litterbugs how to dispose of trash appropriately. Set good examples for your kids, grandkids, friends, neighbors and more and watch good changes occur in time.
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C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.