3 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

We live on an incredible planet! Let's celebrate its gifts!

Cover image of Earth for Earth Day.

Happy Earth Day, dear readers! While there is certainly a lot to be concerned about—from biodiversity loss, pollution from plastics, and the harmful effects of climate change—it is important to take a moment to celebrate our amazing planet! If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you are aware of the incredible bounty of 450,000 plants, algae and bryophytes and 2 million+ fungi that grow on our planet! These organisms nourish and heal our bodies, offer us clothing and building materials, inspire art and music, and even provide the very air that we breathe!

I am in a constant state of wonder at the bounties of our planet. Humans are a part of nature, and I am grateful to the traditional stewards of the lands and seas who have safeguarded these precious resources for millennia. I’m also grateful to the scientists who have dedicated their careers to studying, documenting, and preserving Earth’s resources for the benefit of humanity.

This Earth Day, I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on our planet and your place in it. Here are a few ways to do this.

1. Disconnect to Reconnect

Feel the rough texture of tree bark.

The cost of connecting to technology all to often comes at the expense of a disconnect from nature. This Earth Day, I challenge you to take just 1 hour to completely disconnect from tech. This means putting away the cell phone, computer, music players, cameras and other gadgetry for a full hour without exceptions. Better yet, do it with a friend or family member to reinforce the activity. Next, go outside. Take a walk. Listen to the rustling of the leaves and springtime birdsong. Touch the bark of a tree. Get down to the garden and take an up close look at a wildflower in bloom. Talk about what you observe with your friend/family member or write about it in a journal. Share your observations in the comments below 💚

2. Get Inspired with Books

Read a book about nature.

There are so many excellent resources on nature catering to all ages and levels of expertise. Visit your local library or delve into your own book collection. Whether it's poetry, a field guide to local flora and fauna, or a book on ecology or indigenous knowledge, numerous incredible options await! Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (also available in a format for young adults). Robin’s book explores indigenous wisdom and the teachings of plants.

2. Lessons from Plants by Beronda Montgomery explores how humans can learn lessons on the art of thriving from plants,

3. There are several books by David Haskell that I absolutely love, such as Sounds Wild and Broken, The Song of Trees, and The Forest Unseen. Through his writing, David teaches us to be better observers of nature and to appreciate the intricate changes in nature’s music, plants, and more.

4. Robert Macfarlane offers several books that capture the beauty of travel and nature.

5. I humbly include The Plant Hunter in the list for those interested in learning about my journey in ethnobotany.

3. Support Research & Conservation

Plant a seed of hope through support of research and conservation.

There are so many ways to support research and conservation. You can join citizen science initiatives to make contributions through your own time and labor or make financial contributions to nonprofit organizations. Here are some examples of places where you can make an impact:

Citizen Science

1. Natural history collections (museums filled with records of plant and animal life) need assistance in transcribing data into their digital portals. The National Science Foundation funded initiative iDigBio (Integrated Digitized Biocollections) has a great resource page with information and links to digitization camapaigns.

2. If you are a homeowner or work with local parks in your community, you can contribute to the Homegrown National Park. This initiative aims to reduce the amount of lawn in the US and restore biodiversity through planting native species in support of insects, birds, and other wildlife. Joining is free and they have lots of great resources on their website.

Philanthropy

I’m a big believer in getting my dollars directly to the scientists and conservationists working in the trenches to save Earth’s treasures.

1. The Society for Ethnobotany is the largest international organization dedicated to research and education on the past, present, and future uses of plants by people. Their members work at the cutting edge of the human-nature interface. To support the future of science in this field, we must do more to support field research. Consider making a donation to the Richard E. Schultes Research Award. Each dollar goes directly to supporting graduate student field research projects.

2. WINGS World Quest is the only organization exclusively dedicated to supporting women in science exploration. They support field research projects led by women across the globe—from the Artic to the depths of the oceans, tropical rainforests and deserts. Grantees work at the cutting edge of research, conservation, and environmental education. Learn more about Ways to Give.

3. The Amazon Conservation Team works hand in hand with indigenous people to protect the rainforest. They have a great track record of successful projects in partnership with local people. Learn more how to support their mission to protect the forest.

4. I humbly include two initiatives that I lead at Emory University: the Emory Herbarium and the Quave Research Group. Donations to the Emory Herbarium support our work to document and preserve plant specimens and engage in education and outreach with K-12 schools in the Atlanta, GA area. Donations to the Quave Research Group are critical to supporting our laboratory and field research examining the pharmacological potential of medicinal plants.

The Takeaway

Earth Day is a special day for us all to pause and reflect on the Earth and our place in it. I hope you can take a few moments to celebrate the gifts of this Earth and take small actions to protect it.

Remember, planetary and human health are intricately intertwined. We can’t have one without the other.

Yours in health, Dr. Quave

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Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, speaker, podcast host, wife, mother, explorer, and professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She teaches college courses and leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription, with founding members receiving an autographed 1st edition hardcover copy of her book, The Plant Hunter.

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