Earth day and wonderful flowers
This month, to celebrate Earth Day, we’re learning all about how we can be kinder to the planet, and about the Earth-loving wonders of wildflowers.
What is Earth day?
Earth Day is a special day for celebrating our planet and learning how to take better care of it. It happens every year on April 22nd and has been for more than 50 years.
On this day, people all over the world join forces to plant trees, clean up litter, and do fun activities to look after the Earth.
It’s also a chance to spread the word to as many people as possible about how we can all be kinder to the planet.
How can we help look after out planet?
It’s easy for each of us to do small things
to be kinder to the Earth. If more of us do them, all of these small things add up! Here are some simple ideas you and your family could try:
1. Plant flowers or trees
The Earth needs lots of different kinds of plants, flowers and trees to be healthy. Could you plant some in your garden or on your windowsill?
2. Use a reusable water bottle
Instead of buying plastic bottles of water when you’re thirsty, fill up a reusable bottle at home and take it with you!
3. Turn off the lights
Saving energy and electricity is great for the environment. Can you try turning off lights when a room is empty?
4.Recycle and compost
Get to know what kinds of things you can put in your recycling bin. That way our rubbish will become something totally new, instead of going to the dump. Composting is a way we can recycle old food and help our gardens grow.
Why are wildflowers so wonderful?
This Earth Day, we’re focusing on wildflowers and how they help to look
after the planet. Wildflowers are one of the Earth’s amazing tools for staying happy and healthy – the more we have around us, the better it is. Let’s learn about why they are so wonderful
1. They provide nectar and pollen for pollinators
A ‘pollinator’ is what we call a creature
that transports pollen from one plant to another, which is how they grow fruits or vegetables! Two pollinators you might know are bees and butterflies. Wildflowers are so important for keeping these little helpers going and making sure our yummy food grows well.
2. They boost biodiversity
The word ‘biodiversity’ means a big variety of plants and creatures. Wildflowers attract lots of different insects and animals, which is really good for the environment.
3. They keep the soil healthy
Healthy soil means a healthy planet, because everything relies on soil to grow! Wildflowers look after the soil by keeping it strong and full of life.
4.They clean the air
Wildflowers have the amazing ability to breathe in the bad stuff from the air so it is cleaner for us to breathe!
Different kind of wildflowers
There are hundreds of thousands of different wildflowers in the world, it would be impossible to mention them all here. Let’s learn about some of the common ones we can find in the UK!
1. Bluebell
These pretty blue flowers grow in shady woods and bloom in the spring. They look like little bells hanging from a green stem.
2. Poppy
Poppies are bright red flowers with delicate, soft petals. They grow in fields and gardens, and they’re often a symbol of peace.
3. Daisy
Daisies are cheerful little flowers with white petals and a sunny yellow centre. They often grow in grass and are fun to make flower chains with.
4. Buttercup
Buttercups are small, shiny yellow flowers that grow in fields. Some people hold them under their chin to see if it "glows" to tell if they like butter, just for fun!
5. Cornflower
Cornflowers are bright blue flowers that grow in meadows and fields. They used to grow a lot in cornfields, which is how they got their name.
6. Primrose
Primroses bloom early in spring and come in soft colours like yellow, pink, and white. They love cool, shady places and are one of the first flowers to bloom after winter.