Earth Day: Showing Gratitude For Our Precious Planet
NOW this… by Trevor
Earth Day: showing gratitude for our precious planet
Our universal home, Planet Earth, gives us solid ground beneath our feet and keeps us on it with its pull. With some celestial help, it grows our food, provides materials to build our homes and makes our tools and devices, water for drinking and all its uses. Earth is clearly integral to our being, regardless if you see it as a rock that happens to be teeming with life, or as a living entity itself. Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day, a day cleaved out of our busy year to celebrate the gal who holds it down for us 365.
As a human family, we have an inherited responsibility as stewards of this beautiful world in which we were born into. May we continue waking up to the impact we make to our incredible biosphere through our choices. Every choice we make perpetuates something. From following through on an idea, the work you do, the food you choose or habits you make, the clothes you wear, how and what you create. How were the materials harvested? How were they made? What does it advertise? Is it sustainable? Or better yet, regenerative? Let us consciously make an effort to make choices that promote regeneration over pollution and exploitation. Let’s begin to consider the steps needed to clean up our acts and reach a practice integral with the nature we live with. What was the environmental cost to eat that meal, to purchase that product, and to support that company? What world does the path you are on leave for the future generations ahead? Your children, grandchildren, and beyond.
Enough ‘politics’ … let’s give this Mama a hand! There is a lot we can do to make a difference. Here are a few suggestions should you feel called to offer some TLC or would like to see Earth through new eyes.
- Go on a hike or bike ride to appreciate some natural beauty and bring along a bag to pick up discarded garbage to take and dispose of properly.
- Make a goal to cut down on the amount of garbage you add to the landfill and take the steps to reach your goal. This can actually be a difficult challenge, but can help you realize how many things really don’t need to be surrounded by packaging.
- Remove invasive plants from your property and plant some native species in their place.
- Teach some young ones about the natural world outside. (You have to make it engaging and interesting these days; they’re used to video games and YouTube.)
- Pick out and plant a tree in a place you and yours will be able to watch it grow over the years.
- Learn something about your region’s environment and wildlife from a local professional or with a National Audubon guide or similar reference.
- Read some historical accounts of people who lived in closer harmony with the ebb and flow of nature for an interesting perspective.
- Go outside and Learn some bird calls, or if you have the patience, try to get a brave bird to eat some food from out of your hand.
And my number one suggestion for showing Mother Earth some love and appreciation: live as local as possible. Local products are so significant because they didn’t have to travel far to get to you. All said, it doesn’t hurt to hug a tree, lest you're George of the Jungle.