Earth Day is coming up on April 22. Everyone can make a difference, especially when it comes to making small lifestyle changes that are sustained over time.

In that spirit, Los Angeles Waterkeeper invites you to join our Conservation Challenge. Using the Dashboard.Earth app, Angelenos are guided step by step through meaningful, practical, everyday solutions to reduce water waste and push our county toward climate resiliency. By joining LA Waterkeeper on Dashboard.Earth, you can take actions to make your home and lifestyle more climate resilient this Earth Month.  

1. Keep plastics out of our water. Skip products packaged in plastic when possible and properly dispose of your trash right away.

2. Calculate your water footprint. Use the calculator on Dashboard.Earth to find out your water usage so you can understand how to change your habits and save water. 

3. Go dirty for the drought: Washing your car uses a lot of water (up to 100 gallons). This Earth Month #GoDirtyfortheDrought.

4. Pledge to help save water. We’re grateful for all the rain this winter, but we need to continue taking actions to reduce our water use for true climate resilience. Everyday actions count to conserve water, both inside and outside your home. Learn how to be a drought-resistant gardener and plant native plants, at the Save Water Outside link in Dashboard.Earth.

5. Make your home water resilient. Upgrade your home with free water-saving gear, rebates and more from our partners at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Visit LADWP.com/save to learn more.  

“Despite the recent rains, drought is the new normal for Southern California,” said Bruce Reznik, executive director of Los Angeles Waterkeeper, LA’s water watchdog. “Fortunately, we really can make a difference by working together. Everyone can make moderate changes to their routines that become second nature; and people can make an even bigger impact by joining together and lending a hand this Earth Day.” 

Actions members of the public can take in participation with LA Waterkeeper include attending their Earth Day Clean up on April 22 and learning about the LA River through LA Waterkeeper’s River 101 Activist training on YouTube. People can also volunteer with LA Waterkeeper through their website https://www.lawaterkeeper.org/volunteer.