The Earth Day issue: Save. Simplify. Grow. Make a difference.

You don’t have to be Captain Planet, Al Gore or Rachel Carson to help the environment. Saving energy, preserving natural resources and reducing waste are easier than you think! Small changes in your lifestyle can have positive results for the planet, your pocketbook and your soul.

This issue of Illinois Times features tips and tricks to help you help save the planet, from Springfield. Inside, you’ll find ways to reduce waste, from reusable grocery bags and cloth diapers to instructions for building your own compost pile. Save green while going green by doing a home energy audit, driving the speed limit and unplugging electronics when they’re not in use. We’ve also included Earth Day activity ideas for adults and kids alike.

Connecting with the earth through gardening is a healthy and fun component of a planetfriendly lifestyle. Get started by planting a tree that will outlive you, soak it with water from a rain barrel and enter your garden in this year’s Springfield in Bloom competition.

Join us in celebrating our planet this Earth Day. In Springfield, we have many opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle. As a community, we can make a difference, one small step at a time. –Diane Ivey