Tips for volunteering this Earth Month

This Earth Month, Chicago-area organizations will be hosting dozens of events, including cleanups, clothing swaps, nature walks and reclaimed craft fairs.

• But for people seeking a little competition, there's the Green Bee Challenge, which encourages families to participate in as many Earth-friendly activities as possible throughout April.

What's happening: The Honeycomb Project, a Chicago nonprofit that organizes family volunteering, started the challenge this month, so if you want to stay competitive you'll want to sign up as soon as possible.

• We recently corresponded with the reigning champion, 12-year-old Jack Yagan, who shared his inspiration and some top tips.

Favorite projects: "Working at a nature preserve, where we rebuilt and mulched trails, cooking meals for people who were staying in a homeless shelter, and sorting dishes and other donations that would be given to local families."

The inspiration: "It makes me feel like I'm helping my community. We make an impact, and we learn a lot during the projects."

Tips for a first-timer: "Do it! It was an amazing experience full of fun activities that helped me understand the impact of our actions and what we can do to help the planet.

• "We use an app for the Green Bee Challenge that lists more than 50 activities that are good for the environment, and we track our points on the app, so it's easy to see how you're doing.

• "Choose activities that you like doing and are easy to fit into your day. Last year, we made an effort to take public transportation more often, and I unplugged my devices when I wasn't using them.
• "Remember that you can keep doing a lot of the activities after the end of the challenge."

Tell us: Do you have a favorite Earth Day or conservation activity that you like to do during Earth Month or any time of year? Reply to this email, and let us know.