I’m sure you can all tell from the weather outside that springtime is fast approaching. As the old saying goes, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The snow is melting, the temperature is climbing, and life in the great outdoors is blooming once again. With all this nature popping up around us, it’s important to consider how we can help it grow and blossom! So now that March has calmed down, I’ve decided to come up with some ideas on how we can all be kinder to the earth this season.

1. The most obvious suggestion is to plant a tree. Trees are not only beautiful, but they also produce oxygen for us to breathe. Depending on the type of tree you plant, in a couple of years, it could grow tasty and healthy all-natural fruit for you and your family. What a good environmental and health-conscious decision.

2. Trees aren’t the only things you can plant. You can grow a whole garden: flowers, veggies, fruits, and other plants are all things you can grow right in your own backyard. Not only will you be helping the earth by enriching the soil with your garden’s nutrients, you’ll be helping your household by growing things you can decorate your house and feed your family with.

3. Pick up trash in your local community. Let’s be real, litterbugs are everywhere. There have been countless times when I have been driving home from school and I see a McDonald’s cup or some other kind of trash lying on the side of the road. Just the other day I was walking out of the mall and I saw someone’s math homework fluttering across the parking lot. A simple way to be kind to the earth is picking up trash that hasn’t been thrown away properly. Make sure you dispose of your own trash correctly. Nobody likes a litterbug.

4. Speaking of trash, I’m sure everyone is aware of the importance of recycling. Recycling is as simple as 1-2-3. First, identify your recyclables and make sure they’re genuinely recyclable. Second, be a good person, and locate a recycling bin near you. Third, get up, walk over to the recycling bin, and deposit your recyclables. What could be an easier way to be kind to Mother Nature?

5. Last but not least, encourage others to join you in your quest for kindness towards nature. Not only should you totally tell everyone you know about this article, you should motivate all your friends and work colleagues to do as you’re doing and spread the love. Get your family to start recycling, make a date with your friends to plant a friendship garden, even organize a tree planting event in your community. Being kind to the earth is fun, but it’s even more fun when you involve others.

The earth loves you, so love it back. The happier the planet is, the happier everyone on it will be.

Kaley Martin is an Opinion Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.