10 Unique Ways to Leave It Better

Now more than ever, it’s important to appreciate the time we get to spend outdoors and care for our environment. Here are 10 ways to give our home some lovin.’

1. Pledge to help save the monarch butterfly

Together with the Xerces Society, our community is working to help save the monarch butterfly through Project Monarch. This initiative equips those who care with information and resources for pollinator conservation, which can be done anywhere, whether you tend an urban community garden or a suburban yard, work in a city park or on a farm. Take the pledge to do your part.

2. Get inspired by environmental flicks

Even if you’ve picked over the options on your streaming services, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something fulfilling to watch. Choose one of our favorite outdoor films and settle in for a stimulating night in.

3. Sign up for local, seasonal food deliveries

Support local farms and get fresh produce delivered to your door by subscribing to a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). You can know where your food comes from, get to know community producers, and discover new-to-you veggies.

4. Get in on some citizen science

The Seek by iNaturalist app rallies naturalists to take photos of plants, insects, and animals they spot with notes covering the location and time of day it was seen. You can automatically share your entries with other users to help them identify interesting species, and you can also comment on entries to crowdsource IDs and discuss finds. See our other favorite free nature apps here.

5. Take part in the Great Global (Solo) Cleanup

Group community cleanups may be on hold, but you can still #LeaveItBetter by picking up trash on a walk around the neighborhood. EarthDay.org tracks cleanup efforts no matter how big or small. Just be sure to act in accordance with your area’s COVID-19 guidelines!

6. Start composting at home

Composting is one of those things that can be daunting to start on your own—but now’s the perfect time. It really doesn’t take much effort, recycles food scraps for healthier soil, and saves landfill space. The National Resources Defense Council has tips and checklists for setting up your space.

7. Make homemade hummingbird nectar

If you don’t quite have the resources for a full-fledged pollinator garden, you can still feed hummingbirds with just water and refined white sugar. It’s a win-win: you help sustain their foraging and get more opportunities to spot the speedy birds in your yard. Check out this recipe from the Audubon Society for more details.

8. Donate to an environmental nonprofit

We strongly believe money is best spent on experiences and bettering our communities. A few ideas to get you started:

• Environmental Defense Fund
• The Nature Conservancy
• The Trust for Public Land
• National Wildlife Federation
• American Horticultural Society

9. Create some zero-waste crafts

Having creative outlets keeps us healthy. Put your focus into an upcycled craft project—it’s easy to find inspiration online with uses for items as simple as food jars, coffee filters, egg cartons, corks, paper scraps…just roll with it! To get you started, we’ve got instructions for DIY wildflower seed bombs.

10. Go Hipcamping!

You can feel good about your next Hipcamping trip since every single one supports rural communities and helps protect biodiversity. We work hard to inspire campers to explore and protect nature. Foster deep connection with the outdoors, your pals, or even just yourself on an Earth Day campout.

How do you #leaveitbetter every day?

We’d love to know! Tag us on Instagram @hipcamp to share.