This year, we've gathered a set of mindful activities to celebrate Earth Week.
The practice of mindfulness in challenging times, allows us to find some calm amidst the chaos , experience the present moment and give gratitude for all the elements of the natural world that support our daily lives.
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Monday, April 20th
Celebrate a Special Place
Choose a natural place that is meaningful to you:
A forest trail. A garden. The beach. Under a tree, sitting on a bench.
Imagine you are there.
Feel the vibrancy of life
in and all around you.
What might this place might be like in one thousand years?
What wonders and peacefulness might someone like you enjoy?
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Tuesday, April 21st
Love Water
Today, appreciate water for its many gifts.
As you engage with water today, be mindful of how precious water is to life and how much you are using.
If you can, try to use a little less, saving where you can.
In the end it does not matter who you are... for we all drink from the same world-wide well.
-Takaiya Blaney, Sliammon First Nation
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Wednesday, April 22nd
Serve the Earth
Act with compassion,
on behalf of the Earth and all her creatures.
Plant a seed, restore beauty, enrich lives.
Feel new life stir within and around you.
Commit to restoring natural places that sustain our lives and inspire our spirits.
Join your place as a caretaker in the web of life.
It begins with each of us.
Happy Earth Day!
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Thursday, April 23rd
Save Energy
Energy comes from the sun.
Plants absorb this energy.
Animals, like us, depend on plants.
to access this energy in order to live.
Our electronics, our lights, our heat, our cars, our entire way of life requires the energy of the sun to power them.
Coal, natural gas, and fossil fuel oil
are crude forms of the sun's energy.
Unsustainable.
Today, consider using a little less energy and minimize the impact of our energy use on the Earth.
Find out how much
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Friday, April 24th
Celebrate Interconnections
Nothing exists on its own.
Everything is connected.
Interaction is always taking place, providing not only context, but everything we need to survive.
Pause and reflect.
What is something you had to eat today? Where did this food item originate? How did it find its way to you?
Celebrate this interconnection,
this harmonious oneness,
the interaction of resources, that brings your food to you.
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Saturday, April 25th
Reduce Waste
Recognizing we are already whole,
just the way we are,
we don't need the latest product,
the latest trend.
Buy less.
Re-use more.
Re-purpose.
Share.
Focus on what makes us happy:
Friends and family.
Learning new skills.
Giving back to the world.
Appreciating meaningful experiences.
Reduce waste.
Increase joy.
Upcycle and create some
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Sunday, April 26th
Start a Dialogue
When we talk about climate change we move the conversation from fear to action, from action to hope.
Transforming despair and bringing about what we hope for starts with:
Taking in a clear view of reality
Honouring feelings of fear and anxiety
Expressing gratitude for how
the earth sustains you
Identifying your vision
for what you hope will happen,
Celebrating the actions that you
and others are taking,
Taking active steps to help
bring that vision about.
adapted from
Joanne Macy, Active Hope
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April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Now, more than ever, the Earth needs us to step up and act. We need the courage to raise our voices, to heed the insights from traditional cultures and to advocate for strategies informed by science.
Earth Day Network is organizing
22 daily challenges
you can take to fight the
climate crisis
from lockdown.
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“We all need the same things: clean air and clean water. We have a lot of work to do, but if we can combine our strengths, we can fight for what’s right.”
—Jake Edwards, Onondaga
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