Regardless of when you're reading this, it's less than a year until Earth Day. More people than ever are taking the health of the planet seriously. It can be tough to find the best way to show appreciation to our world while enjoying the Earth Day holiday. Here are four simple things you can do this Earth Day to make the world a better place (and have fun doing it). 

1. Make Your Home More Sustainable

Making the world a better place begins at home. It can also make your home a better place. A good first step is to perform a DIY energy audit on your house or apartment to see where you might be wasting energy. A professional appraisal is best, but doing it yourself is cheap and fast. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers free tips. Think about investing in renewable energy. It can often be purchased directly from a utility provider. Solar and wind power are versatile options for reducing dependency on the grid and saving money.  

If you're shopping for a new home or selling your own, consider the fact that adding solar panels to a house tends to increase property values. There are plenty of digital tools and help available to calculate these benefits. While you're looking up a home's value estimator online, also research the incentives and other benefits of adding renewable energy.

2. Experience Nature

The best way to value the natural world more is to immerse yourself in it. This can be as easy as going out your front door. Multiple medical studies show the benefits to both mental and physical health of being in nature. Even two hours per week spent in nature have been shown to increase wellbeing. This effect occurs whether that time is experienced all at once or in smaller sessions. Depending on your local climate, this might be the perfect time to gear up and go for a hike.

In practice, many people live far from the countryside. If you're one of them, just bring nature to you. There are health and environmental benefits to investing in some greenery around the house. An oft-cited NASA study confirmed that certain houseplants like the spider plant and English Ivy help clear the air of toxins. Consider making plant life part of your sustainability plan.

3. Plant a Garden

Planting a garden has a variety of benefits for people and the environment. Gardens increase the biodiversity of your yard just by existing. Flowering plants support an array of insects like honeybees that are beneficial to everyone and increase harvests. Gardens produce oxygen and take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. They also help to improve water and soil quality by curbing runoff.  

Vegetable gardens can do even more good than flower patches. In addition to the obvious advantage of having a ready supply of fresh food, certain crops like legumes improve the quality of the land by improving soil structure and pH balance while recycling nutrients. Supervised gardening activities also get kids outside in the fresh air and engaged with the world around them. Take care to keep toxins out of vegetable gardens by only using safe, organic fertilizers and pesticides. Gardening is like building your own little world. 

4. Become a Volunteer

Another great way to help save the planet and have fun at the same time is to become a volunteer. There is a wide array of programs and organizations geared toward taking active steps to preserve the environment. Groups like The Nature Conservancy and the National Audubon Society are always looking for extra help. Volunteering doesn't mean you have to get involved in politics or private organizations. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service has opportunities in every state. The work isn't just good for the planet. It's a good way to make friends and contacts in your community and beyond. 

Solving the world's problems might be hard, but celebrating Earth Day is something enjoyable we can all do. This April, use these strategies to help reconnect with nature.