The first Earth Day was in 1970, less than two years after Apollo 8 astronauts sent the world a photograph of earth rising above the surface of the moon. In her amazing book Born of Fire and Rain, M.L. Herring says, 

At that time , politicians in both parties were falling over themselves to claim the mantle of environmental advocacy. Republican and Democratic lawmakers worked together to plan and promote the first Earth Day, in which twenty million Americans took part, almost 10% of the population. 

I was born four years later, but it’s taken me many decades to feel like Earth Day is for me. I’m not a climatologist, hydrologist, ecologist, lawmaker, lobbyist, science communicator, environmental educator, or solar panel manufacturer. For most of my life, I’ve felt like I wasn’t informed, influential, or radical enough to claim Earth Day. For many years, I avoided all articles on climate change because they made me sad and overwhelmed.   

That was before I feel in love with a Black Cottonwood tree on the banks of the Nooksack River. I saw that tree for the dynamic creature it was and felt my connection to it. I have lived among a canopy of giants my whole life in the Pacific Northwest but had never bothered to distinguish a Black Cottonwood from a Big Leaf Maple, or to distinguish a Douglas Fir from a Hemlock. Annie Dillard talks about the “scandal of the particular.” That particular Black Cottonwood changed everything for me. We protect what we love, and we love what we notice and name. 

I had a conversation with a colleague recently who vulnerably shared that he is trying to be less self-referential. I shared with him that becoming a naturalist has been the most powerful way for me to get beyond my own experience. When I listen to the Dark-Eyed Junko’s song in the morning, feel bull kelp against my legs, or feel the fuzzy leaves of a Linden tree, I am forced to get out of my head and into the world. I’m astounded by the variety, beauty, constant change, and resilience of the plants and creatures all around us. And I know for sure that Earth Day is for me, and that every day is Earth Day. I’m motivated to consume less and notice more even if it will not save us from extinction. I’m propelled by love.  

I love this book and this one if you’re looking for inspiration, but my entreaty is that you find one wild, non-human creature to learn more about and risk falling in love with. Be on the lookout for a big tree in your neighborhood that you don’t know the name of. Or sit in a patch of forest for a bit until you notice a bird. Watch it long enough to be able to describe it. Don’t feel pressure to learn everything or be an expert on anything. Just let yourself notice one thing and see where it takes you. 

Happy Earth Days, friends.