Earth Month should be every month

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As April comes to a close, we spotlight the NOH Green Team

By Rachel Hepner, Executive Director, American Red Cross of Western Lake Erie

Red Cross employee Erica Eckel reusing office supplies

Sustainability isn’t just another word the Red Cross throws around, it’s part of our fabric…our biodegradable fabric that is. The Red Cross has built and trained “green teams” around the country that not only work together to spread sustainable initiatives, but also engage local teams on ways WE can be more sustainable at our chapters and in our day-to-day lives. Since we started, we’ve installed water refill stations at most of the facilities in the region, planted trees, distributed reusable water bottles to staff and invested in smart thermostats.

I’m sure you are wondering how you can help. Well, here are a couple easy ways to become part of the solution.

Turn off the water! According to the EPA, letting your faucet run for five minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons of water and uses enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 18 hours. Sidenote: if you make your kids do the dishes that wastes 3x as much water…just have them take out the trash instead.

Red Cross employee Kristen Gallagher’s rain barrel
  1. Buy a houseplant. “But I don’t have a green thumb and I kill all my houseplants!” No, you won’t! Just set a weekly reminder that says, “wet my plants” as often as the plant species requires! It’s that simple!

    FUN FACT: Studies have shown that indoor plants can improve focus, decrease depressive moods, and lessen symptoms of anxiety. When your mind and body are relaxed, it can improve your blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels.
  2. Carpool! Sure, sometimes you don’t want to talk to people, or don’t have the same taste in music, but carpooling is a great way to reduce emissions. Maybe a game of “name that tune” will help pass the time.
  3. Plant a pollinators garden. Here we go with the green thumb thing again…BUT a pollinator garden provides a habitat and nutrition for species which have lost much of their natural resources. It creates a safe environment for bees, which the world relies on as the most important pollinator organism. Bees help our food people! If you want to start small, visit your local Red Cross office to grab a packet of wildflowers! Your local flying pollinators will be buzzing with excitement!
Red Cross worker Tracie Endress uses a water bottle filling station

These are just small examples of how you can be a part of the sustainability movement. Want to learn more or join a local “Green Team” or have an idea? Email us at NOHGreenteam@redcross.org.

Stay sustainable!

Posted by Ryan Lang, American Red Cross board member and volunteer

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