5 Practical Ways to Care for Creation This Earth Day

So I thought that this Earth Day I would cut through the confusion with some practical things you and your family can do that will actually help you be better stewards, caring for God’s creation. I’ve gathered these from various staff members around the ministry who likewise care about taking godly dominion.

1. Educate yourself with the truth about climate change. The narrative you hear from the media is not the full story! Really, climate alarmism is based on evolutionary ideas about the past, particularly when it comes to the supposed age of the earth. You can learn more on our website with articles such as the ones below or visit the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation website (please be aware: as a ministry, they do not take a stand on the age of the earth, so you will find some of their writers do refer to long ages).

   • “The Globe Is Warming, But It’s Not Your Fault!”
   • “Science Confirms Climate Change!”
   • “Climate Change Facts: Should We Be Concerned?”

2. Fight against invasive species. One great thing individuals and families can do to help the environment is clean up trash, but did you know there’s another kind of “trash,” so to speak, that you can help clean up for a healthier environment? That would be invasive plant species.

   These invasive species are plants that generally have been accidently introduced (e.g., by escaping from gardens) to an environment where they don’t really belong. They’re wonderful plants in their native environment! However, their native predators don’t live here, and so these plants often grow at an overwhelming rate, outcompeting the native plants that supply food, particularly for insects, in our local food webs. For example, here in Northern Kentucky, bush honeysuckle and Bradford pear are two invasives that have completely taken over many areas.

   Research which plants are invasive in your area, how to manage them, and then scour your property and remove any you find. Or join a local environmental group and help with invasive plant cleanups (many counties host these a few times a year). What a great way to get to know people in your area and share with them why you care about creation—because God created this world and he cares for it, but how much more he cares about me and you!

3. Add plant natives. This one piggybacks off #2. Once non-native and invasive species have been removed, what do you put in their place? Native plants!

   Native plants are usually defined as the plants that have colonized a particular area since “the last ice age.” Of course, in a biblical worldview, we understand that there was only one ice age, after the flood. So we know native plants haven’t been in place for tens of thousands of years. Likely they are the plants that established themselves in particular areas after the flood or after the ice age, perhaps even later as climates shifted and changed.

   What makes them so vital for the health of an ecosystem is that native insects eat particular native plants and then birds eat those insects (or feed them to their young), thus boosting bird populations (which have been in decline for decades now). These plants also help stabilize soil, are adapted (due to the genetic diversity God created in each kind he made) to our particular local weather and climate patterns and therefore need less water and no fertilizers, and are beautiful to look at!

   To help your local ecosystem, you can add native flower, shrub, and tree species as a beautiful addition to your gardens or turn a piece of your lawn, which is an ecological “dead zone” as far as insect life is concerned, into a small meadow. You’ll be amazed by the butterflies, moths, beetles, and more that are soon visiting your yard (and right behind them will be birds!).

4. Build a small pond or hibernaculum in your backyard. To make your property even more inviting for wildlife such as frogs, toads, snakes (which are very beneficial to the environment even if some people don’t like them!), and more, consider making it a fun family project this spring to add a small artificial pond or a specific area for overwintering (called a hibernaculum) to a corner of your yard. You can find instructions online for how to make these, and your kids will love seeing what kind of life is attracted to your yard by these features.

Creation is important and loved by God; but only mankind, the crown of God’s creation, is made in his image.

5. Don’t rake or mulch your leaves. This is a tip to keep in mind for the fall. Many overwintering insects or their young (including many butterflies, moths, and fireflies) escape hungry predators and the cold by hiding under the leaf litter. When this leaf litter is raked, bagged, thrown away, or mulched, those beneficial insects go with it. To see more of a variety of God’s creation in your backyard, leave the leaves if you can. If you can’t, consider gently raking them into a pile in the corner of your yard and allowing them to decompose there, returning nutrients to the soil and protecting overwintering insects.

As you can see, we have some staff members who are very passionate about caring for God’s creation in practical ways without falling prey to the alarmism of our day, worshipping the earth, or elevating the environment above mankind and our needs. After all, creation is important and loved by God; but only mankind, the crown of God’s creation, is made in his image. We as humans have infinite value compared to everything else because only humans have eternal souls and will live forever. So we care for creation out of love and obedience to the Creator, while never elevating it above humans made in his image.

Also, I have a new book that just came out called Climate Change for Kids . . . and Parents Too! It’s a book for the whole family that teaches how to view the climate change movement from a biblical worldview perspective and also details accurate information so people can get the truth about what really is happening with the earth’s climate.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.