Earth Day always brings me back to elementary school, where for one day a year, my classmates and I were freed from our stuffy portables to go out and pick up garbage in the school yard. Equipped with clear garbage bags, we set out to find trash to fill them with—-the most common being empty blue Dunkaroo packages for some reason? I definitely enjoyed it, and I think most of my classmates did too. In fact, we liked it so much that we sometimes fought over who spotted the garbage first!
Growing up in the 90’s, I was part of the Sun Tots vs. Smoggies, Captain Planet and FernGully generation. Our schools raised money to protect the rainforest acre by acre, adopt humpback whales and plant cedar saplings in our backyards. The recycling symbol was as holy as the bible and anyone spotted tossing a wrapper on the ground was looked upon in sheer disbelief.
So when I look at this Earth Day illustration, I can’t help but see these childhood environmental influences shining through. This “Simple, Good, Change” mantra is part of a ongoing series that Kashi releases on their website. The mantras are free to share as desktop/mobile wallpapers, facebook cover photos and posters.
As well, they were so kind as to include an interview with me on their blog, PlantingSeeds, where I talk about my paper collage process and green living ways.
So what am I doing for earth week this year? I’m beginning to plan out my summer garden: a mixture of veggies (for me and my neighbours) and some perennial flowers (for the birds and bees). Oh, and I also picked up some little bits of garbage that had drifted into the yard over winter. What a thrill! ;)
Ashley Barron 
You are so talented missy!!
Aww Dayle, thanks for the kind words :)