Kristen Walks: Celebrating Earth Day the 3 Day Way!

Happy Earth Day! In honor of this important day, I thought I would throw out some ideas about how to celebrate Earth Day the 3 Day way. Enjoy and be sure to hug a tree today and every day!

1. Plan a training walk in a National Park!

In addition to being Earth Day, we are also in the middle of National Park Week. Did you know that there are 392 national parks that never charge an entry fee? That means you can plan your training walks for one of these gorgeous parks without it costing a dime. Moreover, to encourage everyone to get out and explore the national park system during National Park Week, more than 100 national parks that usually charge entrance fees are going fee free until April 25th. In addition, many national park concessions are also offering their own discounts to make the fun even more affordable. So what are you waiting for? Head over to the National Park Service website and start planning a training walk in the park today!

2. Recycle your old sneakers!

As a 3 Day walker, I go through a lot of sneakers. With all the training that we do, we wear out our sneakers pretty quickly. Most 3 Day walkers will burn through at least two pairs of sneakers per season. So at the end of all that walking, you're going to end up with some old sneakers. Rather than tossing them in the trash, recycle them! The website Run the Planet has compiled an extensive list of sneaker recycling programs from around the world to help you decide the best way to recycle your old kicks at the end of the 3 Day season.

(Thanks @PosingforPink for the great link!)

3. Get outside and walk!

One of the best ways you can help out the planet is by walking as much as possible. As 3 Day walkers, we're pretty much already doing that (right?). We walk a lot. So rather than trying to walk more miles, how about making your training miles count for double by donating them to the BeeWell for Life program by Bumble Bee Foods. The BeeWell program was started in 2009 to raise money for the Breast Cancer Network of Strength (formerly the Y-Me National Breast Cancer Organization) to help make a difference in the lives of those touched by breast cancer. From now through the end of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, Bumble Bee will make a $0.15 donation to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength for every mile that you log into your BeeWell for Life Account. It's free to set up and hey, we're all walking the miles anyways! So take five minutes, set up your account and make all those miles that you're walking in the great outdoors count twice as much!

(Thanks Betties for Boobies for the great link!)

4. Invest in reusable water bottles!

Did you know that Americans buy an estimated 29.8 billion disposable plastic water bottles every year? Did you also know that 8 out of 10 of those water bottles will end up in a landfill where they can take up to 1000 years to degrade? As 3 Day walkers, we need to drink a lot of water. As Leanne reminded us in this post, proper hydration is critical to surviving training and the 3 Day event in good health. Do something good for yourself and for the planet by investing in a reusable water bottle or two today. There are a ton of options out there to suit all tastes. Some popular brands include Nalgene and Camelbak plastic bottles and Sigg aluminum bottles. Find what works for you and then use our handy Amazon search box to do your earth friendly shopping!

5. Plant a garden!

Flowers and plants help to keep the planet healthy by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Growing your own fruits and veggies helps to cut down on the greenhouse gases that are generated during the production, packaging and transportation of commercially grown produce. Plus, if you grow your own goods, you can be sure that they are pesticide free, which is good for your own health as well as for the planet. And besides, we've done enough damage to planet. We can certainly afford to add some natural beauty back into the world. If you're thinking about starting a garden, please consider purchasing some (or all) of your garden plants from our collaboration with Flower Power fundraising!