Earth Day is this Saturday! Have you planned an activity in your community to help preserve the environment  or promote environmental awareness? No!? Well, never fear, it's not too late. Even though Earth Day is fast approaching, there's still time left to plan and organize your own Earth Day event. Here are 10 easy steps for you to get the ball rolling:

1) Look for an activity. The first thing you have to do is get outside and look around. Determine what your community needs. Head to the park. Swing by the beach. Walk through your neighborhood. What do you see that's not environmentally healthy? Is there garbage on the beach? Are there plastic bags ensnarled in tree limbs? Is the community using the vacant lot down the street as a dump? Even though you think there might not be anything for you to do, a cursory inspection will probably reveal many opportunities.

2)  Choose an activity. After you've identified some things in your community that need to be done, choose one. Since it's a bit late in the game, I'd suggest you choose something simple like collecting litter or planting trees. Next year, you can plan to hold a rally or build and install solar panels for needy families.

3) Plan your activity. This is obvious, but it's easy to overlook. If you're going to be teaching local kids how to use recycle bins, do you have bins? Do you have kids? Do you, yourself, even know how to recycle? If not, maybe you need to go back to Step 2. If you think through what you hope to achieve for the day (Go to park...distribute garbage bags to volunteers...collect garbage...place filled bags in dumpster), then you'll realize what you need. Duh...you need a box of garbage bags...and figure out where the garbage dumpster is!

4) Schedule your activity. Again, this might be another obvious point, but it's important. Figure out when it's convenient for other people to join you. If you want to meet at 6 a.m. (because it'll be a beautiful sunrise) and ride bikes through the town center to promote eco-friendly transportation, then go for it. And I hope you enjoy it...by yourself. People don't mind volunteering, but they're less likely to help if they're not even out of bed yet. Moreover, make certain that your activity doesn't conflict with the totally bitchin' Earth Day rally that the Baha'i hold each year and that the entire community turns out for. If you schedule your activity when something else very popular is occurring, you might be the only participant.

5) Get permission for your activity. If you're going to be working in a park, call your local Parks & Rec department, and tell them what you have in mind. Heading to the beach? Let the lifeguards know what you're planning to do there. There are very few people who will tell you, "No you can't come to my [park/beach/neighborhood/parking lot/insert name of littered area] and clean." However, it's polite to keep them informed. Plus, this is a good way to confirm that no one else has already had your great idea. (But if they have, don't worry: you can join forces and work together. It's Earth Day, man! Share the trash!)

6) Advertise your activity. Unless you're planning on planting trees by yourself in your back yard, you probably would like people to help you. Email your co-workers. Talk to your neighbors. Call your friends. Hang fliers around your neighborhood. Go to the Home Owners Association meeting. Promote your activity on websites like the Coral Reef Alliance or Earth Day Network. Just get the word out. Don't forget to tell people where to meet, when to meet, and if they need to bring anything special (think: sunscreen, bottled water, parking meter money, etc.)!

7) Recon the activity. The night before, drive by your location and make sure everything is still available. For example, make certain the City hasn't decided to repave the parking lot or remove the area's dumpsters. Walk though the activity in your mind and see if there's anything you forgot. If you've overlooked something, now's the time to correct it. That way, the following morning, you'll be totally prepared and everyone will think you're a friggin' genius!

8) Do the activity. This is what it's all about, folks. This is what you've been planning for...well...for at least two days. Don't oversleep. Be on time. Explain what you'd like your volunteers to do, but don't be bossy. During the activity, tell people they're doing a good job and encourage them. Take pictures and post them to your personal website or upload them to the Coral Reef's photo contest. At the end of the event, be certain to say thanks to everyone who helped.

9) Clean up after the activity. If you're collecting garbage, then this step mostly takes care of itself. But if you're planting trees, then clean off your tools. Teaching kids to recycle? Don't leave plastic bottles laying in the grass. Sponsoring a fund-raiser? Clean up the area and remove all your signs. Don't make someone else have to come behind you and clean up your mess. That's not very Earth Day-y, is it?

10) Celebrate your activity's success! Okay, I said that doing the activity was what it's all about, but this is really what it's all about. Survey the scene before you and see what a great job you've done. Slap yourself on the back for throwing together such a great activity on such short notice. Go out and have an ice cream sundae or a cold beer. Just make certain you recycle the plastic sundae dish or the beer bottle. Remember: Earth Day shouldn't just be a scheduled event that has an end! Earth Day is every day!

If you want to organize an Earth Day event, there's still time. Just follow this simple guide, and you can be up and running in no time. Remember: you don't have to organize a huge rally or recycle 10,000 pounds of aluminum cans to be a success. Every little bit helps. Now, get out there and do some good!