On the first Earth Day in 1970, 20 million Americans demonstrated for clean air, land, and water, resulting in an annual celebration. Today, Earth Day is an opportunity for us to highlight our shared commitment to creating a more sustainable future and our respect for the Earth and the environment.
Earth Day officially falls on April 22. If you’re seeking ways to participate in Earth Day, here are some earth-oriented ideas to get you started:
- Plant a tree! For helpful tips, visit https://www.arborday.org/trees/index-planting.cfm. To identify native plants in your local area, visit https://www.audubon.org/native-plants.
- Participate in a Healthy Watershed Project! To find a project in your local area, visit https://www.epa.gov/hwp/healthy-watersheds-projects-your-state-and-region.
- Construct a Butterfly Garden in your backyard! For helpful tips, visit https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Wildlife/Attracting-Butterflies.
- Update your at-home recycling by checking in with your local waste management company about what can or can’t be recycled. Trying to recycle a specific item? Visit https://search.earth911.com/ to find your closest recycling option.
- Go on a bird watching hike in your neighborhood! For an online bird guide, visit https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide.
Interested in connecting with the Earth through meditation and a grounding experience? Read our article on Meditation for Beginners or join our online, self-paced Professional and Continuing Education (PCE) Meditation for Everyone Masterclass to learn more about how to find a mindful Meditation practice for you and your clients and patients.
Or try an outdoor yoga class! Might we suggest some goat yoga?
Our Wellness Blog also has great references on how to connect your health with the outside world. One of our faculty members wrote a beautiful piece about Spring and its connection to healthcare. We invite you to read, Spring is Springing.
Here is an excerpt from Spring is Springing by Jennifer Swartout:
“Nature is the perfect duality; as night follows day, spring/winter, and life/decay, early scholars realized that there was no better teacher (Nei Ching). When we go to nature our physiology remembers that we are part of the cycle of life; we see first-hand how light and water turns to wood, wood decays to earth, earth to rocky metal, hot metal to burning fire, and fiery sun with water to wood. Everything is connected; again and again, the cycle continues. Much like an herbal remedy, listening ear, micronutrient, or an acupuncture needle, nature heals by opening the door to proper flow. It allows the body, mind and spirit to reset, conserve vital resources and let energy go where it is most needed.”