In case you hadn’t noticed, April is Earth month and while it’s awesome that we have one day dedicated to her, Amelia Islanders think Mother Earth should be celebrated and looked after EVERY day. If you don’t believe me, check out this article in Forbes of the five idyllic ecotourism destinations across the Southern U.S.

April 22 marks the 52nd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement that began in 1970. Since that time, environmental awareness and conciousness has moved to the forefront as folks know that we must invest in our planet now if we are to have a future. Big ways and small ways, they all count. Here are 6 ways to celebrate Earth Day on Amelia Island. 

1. Join the Clean Up! – Two great causes. One BIG cleanup. On Saturday, April 23, join us for Earth Day Beach Cleanup at Main Beach Park (32 N Fletcher Ave) from 9am – 10am. Let’s welcome our nesting sea turtles to a clean beach! Also, St. Marys Riverkeeper, Keep Nassau Beautiful, and Partners are leading a four county watershed wide cleanup of the St. Marys River and its tributaries. See how you can get involved in that huge undertaking!

2. Limit single use plastic – Single-use plastic products (straws, shopping bags, styrofoam take-out containers, etc) may be super convenient but they cause significant damage to the environment. Limiting your single-use plastic is easy by taking reusable shopping and produce bags to the store or farmers market, taking reusable water bottles to the beach instead of opting for the plastic ones, and having your morning mug of coffee inside one of our coffee shops instead of taking a paper one to go (they’re usually lined with plastic)!

3. Stay at a Florida Green Lodging Hotel – All of our island accommodations have some sort of eco-friendly impact on the environment so please check them all out – however, The Residence Inn, Amelia Island is a certfied Florida Green Lodging Property with The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and is recognized as a lodging facility that makes a commitment to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources.

4. Fill in your beach holes – Digging in the sand is one of the essential summer pleasures, but, when you’re done, please fill them in.  Nesting mother turtles and their hatchlings can easily fall in and become trapped. You’ll get extra good deed points for filling in holes you come across at the end of the afternoon (Make it a contest for the kids while you pack up?)

5. Leave no trace – After you’ve enjoyed the perfect beach day, please take down and remove your tents, beach chairs, umbrellas and the like (see Nassau County Ordinance 2016-06). Nesting turtles can become trapped underneath your items and hatchlings can be confused by them when they emerge. If you have trash and leftover food, please make sure it leaves as well since foxes, raccoon, and other animals are drawn to them. Only your footprints should remain on the beach when you depart.

6. Park Your Car And Rent A Bike – A favorite way to embrace sustainable travel AND save money, gas and harmful emissions is to park your car when you get here and rent a bike! Amelia Island is home to miles of bike lanes, trails, paths and beach to give you a change of scenery every day. It’s a great form of exercise and will take you places that cars can’t go … like Egan’s Creek Greenway for an up close and personal visit with nature. Whichever path you choose, just know that a unique view of Amelia Island awaits.

Happy Earth Day!