Now that the world is finally opening back up again, people are itching to get back outside. Why not channel that energy into volunteering? Today, we’ll talk about a couple of ways that you can get outside and also clean up your environment.

Clean up your local river or beach

If you, undoubtedly, are worried about volunteering and social distancing, why not volunteer at your local river or beach cleanup? It may not seem like it’s doing much, but the EPA states that at least 2 million seabirds die each year due to not only ingesting the trash but also from getting entangled in it as well. Not only that but another 100,000 marine animals are killed every year from the same cause. Cleaning up a local river or beach lets you social distance, but also helps you do good for your environment!

Work with an Advocacy Organization

An environmental advocacy organization lobbies on the federal, state, and local levels for laws and other policies that were created to protect the environment. These policies, such as the Clean Water Act or the Endangered Species Act, as well as other efforts to change the overall behaviors of big companies and individuals have a big impact on the environment. Working for an advocacy organization can look like canvassing on the streets, organizing events, drafting policies, writing letters, promoting the organization through their social media, designing a website, or even working on a documentary. Here are some places you can volunteer with: Sierra Club, National Audobon Society, Greenpeace USA, and The Nature Conservancy.

Plant Trees with the Arbor Day Foundation

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, trees help fight climate change, clean pollutants that are in the air, produce oxygen, and reduce the pollution caused by water runoff. They also provide essential homes for wildlife, provide us cooling and shade, and can even contribute greatly to our health. According to a study done in South Korea, office workers who have a view of trees report a significantly lower level of stress and higher satisfaction than those who don’t. There are ways for you to plant trees yourself, or you can see if the place that you live is already a part of Arbor Day’s Tree City USA network.