I love Earth Day. My tree-hugger side has its moment to shine and feel at one with my community, my fellow Terra dwellers, and my planet. It's a time to give back to our home and do some planet-wide spring cleaning. But I have just one problem—I can't participate in any kind of horticultural activity without leaving a wake of brown leaves, dying flowers, and failed roots behind. I sincerely apologize to any plant I've ever tried to "help".

R.I.P. my beautiful succulents (yeah, I killed succulents—these are plants that live in the desert).

Despite my shortcomings, I still want to honor our home planet. If you're like me and need an alternative way to celebrate, try these plant-free Earth Day activities.

1. Participate in citizen science programs.

Citizen science programs allow you to make contributions to research, data collection, and environmental monitoring efforts without having a PhD. There are many programs out there, some are global and some are specific to your location. Usually, the tasks that are asked of you are easy and can be done at your leisure. You can do this by yourself or you can recruit other earth science-loving citizens to join you!

2. Take part in a clean up.

Most of us have participated in some kind of clean up. It's a popular Earth Day activity and makes an immediate difference for the area you visit. It's instant gratification at its most selfless. Clean ups can take place at the beach, throughout the community, or right in your neighborhood.

3. Recycle what you can.

It's clear that recycling is important, but receptacles aren't always within reach and it's hard to know what it accepted by your local recycle center and what isn't. Five minutes of research can answer your questions and bring you one step closer to an eco-friendly lifestyle.

4. Get creative with upcycling.

Upcycling is another way to reduce waste, reuse materials, and recycle objects. It can also save you money! One mans trash is another mans treasure.

5. Donate to charity.

Money is power. Most of us are broke and only have so much (if any) to spare, but if you decide to spend money instead of time this Earth Day I encourage you to spend it wisely. If you are hoping your money will make a significant difference, it will be best spent in a donation to a charity or organization fighting to make systemic changes.

6. Push for political change.

In recent years, many of us have become very politically involved. You can use your experience to continue lobbying, supporting, volunteering for, donating, voting for, calling, and writing politicians about policies that will protect our environment. If we want change, we need the government on board.

7. Visit parks and beaches.

Without patrons, parks would be seen as inessential and would be difficult to defend against encroaching businesses or urbanization. You presence in these pockets of nature shows your support.

8. Educate yourself.

The best place to start if you want to support a cause is to delve into the facts first. Our Earth is diverse, ever-changing, and home to many fascinating flora and fauna. Do some research on causes that interest you and decide the best way you can help.

9. Take an energy efficiency pledge.

We can cut down on waste and energy consumption by simply being mindful of how we use our appliances and utilities on a daily basis. Taking a pledge may help you stick to a more energy efficient lifestyle.

10. Spread the word.

Learned something new? Spent the day volunteering? Made something eco-friendly? Tell people about it! Your actions and knowledge may inspire others to get involved. Never underestimate your worth - you have the ability to empower those around you!

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In the words of Jane Goodall, "You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make." In that spirit, I hope you will join me in celebrating Earth Day!