Have a Green Easter

While we in the real world may not always be 100% environmental, at least kids can see that the Easter Bunny is. With Easter Sunday just four days away, there’s still time to plan for a greener Easter celebration.

Start with the Easter basket, that cellophane-sealed extravaganza of plastic eggs, neon green grass, painted wicker and refined sugar. If you have these materials already buried in your basement somewhere, the obvious thing to do is re-use them.

For a more creative alternative, recycle a tangerine crate (kids love the size). Paint it, then staple a strap of colored construction paper to it as a handle. Painting an extra large strawberry container with bright colors also works. Even an old clay pot can be painted in pastels.

My personal favorite? Children in Colonial America built nests of leaves and sticks in the garden for the Easter bunny to leave colored eggs in. What self respecting six-year-old wouldn’t want the sweet anticipation of building the nest/basket the night before? Other versions of this strategy are to leave out a large shoe or baseball cap.

Since the plastic “grass” used to fill baskets lasts up to 300 years in landfills and is dangerous if small kids or pets try to eat it, cut up strips of colorful magazines, newspapers or recycled construction paper instead. Or to go more au-natural, fill it with sea grass or hedge clippings.

Instead of loading up on candy containing processed ingredients, artificial colors, and hormones, there are plenty of tasty alternatives. Both King Kullen and Provisions carry sweets that are not only healthy and organic but carry the Fair Trade label, ensuring that farmers are being fairly compensated.

Branch out from the bunny/chick theme and put a black rhino, Bengal tiger or sea turtle in your basket with Endangered Species Chocolate Bars. Yummy Earth organic candy drops and lollypops are free of chemical pesticides, dyes, processed sugar and are delicious. For more Easter basket candy, Provisions also sells chocolate balls wrapped to look like the earth, chocolate covered almonds and Sun drops, an organic version of M&M’s. While there seem to be no organic chocolate bunnies available, they do sell a funky psychedelic rooster and a fetching sock-like lamb made in the US from organic fibers. If some of these ideas don’t feel like “real” Easter baskets, remember, the recipients don’t remember the umpteen years of how it’s “normally” done.

Pennsylvania Dutch children once believed that if they were good the “Oschter haws” (a translation of Easter hare) would come and lay a nest of colored eggs. If a rabbit is capable of laying eggs, are brown Easter eggs such a stretch? In the highly controversial debate over whether brown eggs are really dyeable, the verdict is that they can be quite pretty (except for maybe yellow). For organic, cage-free and reasonably priced eggs, visit North Sea Farms at 1060 Noyac Road. With store-bought eggs, opt for cardboard containers that can then be made into egg capsules and filled with candy (google World Environmental Organization to find out how).

Skip the harsh chemicals typically found in egg dying kits and use food coloring instead. It’s just as easy and less expensive. Or if you’re really ambitious, boil food you already have in the kitchen for dye: For orange, use paprika, chili powder or the skin of a yellow onion. For blue… canned blueberries, purple grape juice or red cabbage. For pink… cranberry, raspberry or beet juice. Yellow… boiled orange peels, chamomile tea or ground cumin. Green…spinach or parsley leaves. Brown…coffee grounds, black tea, instant coffee. Red…rose hip tea, blackberries or a pomegranate.

As with regular dyes, white vinegar enhances the color. While this is often suggested as a fun, earth-friendly project, one wonders if there’s something counter-intuitive about buying an imported pomegranate and using it just to dye eggs. So choose your dyes wisely.

Since nowhere in town sells Easter cards on recycled paper (yet), make your own by recycling kids art projects. (Wasn’t St. Patrick’s Day ages ago?)

While an Easter dinner made from as many organic and local ingredients as possible is always a good idea, choosing meat is a bit more nuanced. Lamb generally has less environmental impact than ham because nearly all U.S. lamb tends to be raised in a free range environment. Most pork, on the other hand, is not clearly labeled as to its origin or farming practice. If you prefer ham, look for “certified humanely raised” on the label.

For a more eco-Easter Lilly, plant it in the ground after the holiday and enjoy a fragrant perennial that comes up for the next three to four years. And if you’re wondering whether Peeps can be considered environmental (and I know you are) - definitely. Leave a package of these delectable sugar covered marshmallow bunnies open for a week and voila — instant recycled sandpaper.