See Green
Earth Day gets the green-carpet treatment at Grounds For Sculpture with a special lecture entitled "Art in the Landscape, the Landscape as Art." Led by AC/BC Associates founding partner Brian Carey (the group that won the 1985 competition to develop what was a new sculpture park in Hamilton), the lecture will focus on the restoration of the abandoned landscape of the New Jersey State Fairgrounds and its transformation into Grounds For Sculpture. Lecture begins at 11 a.m. *** If a tour is more your speed, the Grounds For Sculpture gardeners will be leading visitors down the primrose path to explore the horticulture and plantings in the park. Tours are at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Or, tag along with the docents as they reveal the connections between horticulture and art throughout the park; tour begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $8. (Grounds For Sculpture, 18 Fairgrounds Road, Hamilton; 609.586.0616 or groundsforsculpture.org.)

Hear Green

Sometimes all it takes to kick-start a few new, green habits is a little guidance from someone who gets it: Catherine Zandonella, West Windsor resident and author of Green Guide Families, will ring in Earth Day at the Barnes & Noble at Marketfair by sharing some fun and inspired ways to get children to think green and make living a green lifestyle easier. Book signing and discussion begins at 7 p.m. Admission is free. (Barnes & Noble, Princeton Marketfair, 3535 U.S. Route 1, Princeton; 609.897.9250 or bn.com) *** The James Kerney campus of Mercer County Community College will be marking "E Day" with the Trenton-Mercer Earth Day Community Fair from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The event will feature a panel discussion along with nearly two-dozen vendors and exhibitors of green products, services, and programs. To register, visit earthday2010mercer.eventbrite.com; admission is free. (Mercer County Community College, James Kerney Campus, Kerney Hall, North Broad and Academy Streets; 609.379.2885 or mccc.edu.)

Eat Green
Think I could get through an entire newsletter without some mention of eating? In this case, we're talking about how to consume responsibly (words I never thought I'd place in the same sentence). These two sustainable feasts actually take place pre-Earth Day, so take note: The Greening Princeton Farmers' Market on Tuesday, April 20, is a grower-producer market where all of the vendors make or grow what they sell. From farm-fresh seasonal produce, naturally raised meats, and other artisanal goods, every item sold at the market has been grown, raised, or produced locally. Market is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Princeton University, Firestone Plaza, Princeton; 609.258.3000 or princeton.edu.) *** On Wednesday, April 21, founder and president of the "slow food" movement (translation: fighting the power against fast, processed food) Carlo Petrini will give a lecture on his new book Terra Madre: Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities, as part of Princeton University's Department of French and Italian course, "The Literature of Gastronomy." Lecture begins at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. (Princeton University, McCosh Hall, Room 50, Princeton; 609.258.4670 or princeton.edu.)

Teach Green
It's never too early to impart on the Scooplets in your life how to love the planet like they love their favorite blankies. The Waldorf School celebrates Earth Day with hands-on instruction on how to make a pine cone bird feeder for children ages three and older. Event is from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Registration is required; admission is free. (Waldorf School, 1062 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton; 609.466.1970 or princetonwaldorf.org.) *** Party hats are required at the Buttinger Nature Center at the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Earth Day soiree. Children ages six to nine are invited to make "natural" hats and take part in games and a hike to gain a deeper appreciation for all that nature provides. Event begins at 4 p.m. Registration is required; fee is $17. (Buttinger Nature Center, 31 Titus Mill Road, Pennington; 609.737.7592 or thewatershed.org.)

Be Green
One of the easiest ways to get off on the right carbon footprint is to recycle, and truly, is there anything more fulfilling then ridding your house of the old electronics you've been hoarding since the 80s? On Saturday, April 17, drop off your old computers, keyboards, monitors, modem telephone boards, hard drives, floppy drives, CD Roms, phones, fax machines, printers, memory chips, circuit boards, cables, and/or connecting wires at Whole Foods Marketbetween 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. during its Earth Month Extravaganza. (Whole Foods Market, Windsor Green Shopping Center, West Windsor; 609.799.2919 or wholefoods.com.) *** Next, take your digital music players, camcorders, game systems, cell phones, GPS systems, and cameras to the Earth Day Recycling Eventat the Kids Corner Co-op Nursery School at the Princeton Alliance Churchon Thursday, April 22. Collection times are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Princeton Alliance Church, 20 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro; 609.799.1535 or kccns.com.) ***And finally, get the whole family together to take part in Princeton's Earth Day Celebrationon Sunday, April 25. A slate of eco-inspired fun is scheduled, including a school garden exhibition and compost bin demo from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (Littlebrook Elementary School, 39 Magnolia Lane, Princeton; 609.806.4250 or lb.prs.k12.nj.us); a stream and park trash cleanup at Turning Basin Park from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. (Turning Basin Park, 483 Alexander Road, Princeton; 609.452.2403 or canoenj.com); and a community-wide bike ride along the towpath beginning at Turning Basin Park from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration is recommended for this free event (for details, e-mail princetonearthday2010@ymail.com).
                                                                                      

Live Green: The P.S. Top Five

What eco-litany would be complete without a few thoughts on how to incorporate a smarter, more responsible way of existing into our every day? Herewith, The P.S. Top Five Ways to Feel Green All Year Long:
 
Make an Earth Day resolution.It's not just for New Year's anymore. And much like what happens on that particular day, we all make a bunch of well-intentioned resolutions, only to leave them behind by February. Therefore, take the time to isolate one thing you could do better, bolder, greener, whether it's creating a compost pile in your backyard or ditching those paper cups with the plastic lids for your morning coffee in favor of a reusable container (check out Princeton's greendesign on Witherspoon Street for some eco-friendly alternatives from Kleen Kanteen).

Take a walk. There's really no better time to fall back in love with the planet than spring, and nothing makes us appreciate the earth more than simply engaging with it. So I say, talk a walk; wander around your backyard, go on a hike, or take the dog for a long meander after dinner. A little time to reconnect with nature is a powerful reminder of just how fragile our planet really is.
 
Just say "no" to junk mail. Nothing makes me cringe for the planet more than the piles of junk mail I get every week. I do my best to properly recycle it all, but I can only do so much, especially when you consider that an astounding 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water are used to make the stuff in the first place. Register with the Mail Preference Service on the Direct Marketing Association Web site (fee is $1), and within 90 days, most unsolicited mail will stop. So easy.
 
Plant a garden. How fabulous would it be to roll out of bed and into your backyard to go produce shopping? It may sound daunting, but with a little guidance and some elbow grease, creating your own gardenis fairly simple, and a fantastic way to teach the kids that food doesn't grow in the shelves at the grocery store. Visit squarefootgardening.comfor a crash course in how to get started.
 
Read The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Written in 1971, this book was ahead of its time. Although it may not provide many practical applications for leading a greener lifestyle, it serves as wonderful inspiration. For me, the single line, "I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees,"provides enough motivation to remind me to turn off the water while brushing my teeth, replace regular light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs), and bring those reusable bags to the store. And most of all, it really makes me want to plant a tree and watch it grow.