Earth Day is April 22 and it's not unusual for many Canadians to draw a blank when it comes to marking the occasion, which really should be 365 days a year. The David Suzuki Foundation receives many questions about this, and this year, we've got a great way to celebrate.

The David Suzuki Foundation Book Club is launching nationally this April: perfect timing and a great excuse to invite Canadians to do something fun, unique and enriching for Earth Day.

But why a book swap and what does sharing books have to do with the environment?

This year we hope that Earth Day will not only be about acknowledging the importance and fragility of our planet, but also about loving the place we live and getting to know the people you share it with.

Community gardens, car sharing programs and petitions to change public policy stem from the actions of individuals who live together, know each other and turn their concerns from talk to action. This isn't a new idea, but I think it's something that a lot of people tend to underestimate, especially when confronted with issues like climate change, species extinction and overconsumption-problems that seem bigger than us and therefore unsolvable.

In an essay from one of our previous book club selections, Less is More, writer Jay Walljasper discusses this obstacle: "Issues that seem overwhelming at the national or even municipal level - such as climate change or sprawl - can be effectively tackled close to home. That's because the people who live in a particular locale are the experts on that place, with the wisdom and commitment to get things done."

At the David Suzuki Foundation, one of the current areas of focus is to support and foster what we call "living neighbourhoods". This means empowering Canadians to transform the street where they park their car into a connected, engaged and healthy community that has the capacity to tackle global problems via local solutions. It's an interesting idea, because while a lot of people understand that living neighbourhoods are a vital part of urban living, it's not something that you can just make happen, like a recycling program at work or changing the colour of your house. It's an organic process that stems from a lot of tiny catalysts such as a park bench on the corner of the street, or a block party once a year. The Earth Week Book Swap is meant to be one of those tiny catalysts, a small part of a greater cultural shift.

This is the first year we've done this, in fact, it's a pretty new concept all together, so it's hard to say what we want to come of our great Canadian book swap. In the spirit of things, I'm thinking small victories: I want neighbours to run into neighbours; I want parents to bring their kids; I want amazing stories to find new life with a new reader; I want people to join our awesome book club!

Have fun everyone, and happy Earth Day!