Earth Day – 50th Anniversary

Walk, run or hike the Earth

On Earth Day, take a walk or run through the neighborhood. Go alone and relish your solitude, enjoying the time for free thought or listening to a podcast. Or take advantage of the opportunity for quality time with your loved ones and stroll with your family and dog by your side.

Biking for strength and a good mood

Cycling through your neighborhood, on a trail or into town is permissible, as most people on bicycles are reasonably far apart from each other, and since you’d be speeding down a road or path, there’s not much opportunity to transfer the virus by closely talking with people. Just be courteous to those around you. If you do need to come to a halt, be sure you’re maintaining the proper distance from other cyclists or pedestrians.

Stay in touch with the Earth by gardening

Putter around in your garden on Earth Day to keep in touch with nature and appreciate whatever you pull from its soil.

One study found gardening may prevent brain shrinkage in older adults. Our cognitive abilities, including learning and memory, partly depend on the size of our brains.

Enjoy the meditative qualities of nature

You might also celebrate the natural world by forest bathing.

The term comes from the Japanese word shinrin-yoku, which means “immersing in the forest atmosphere.” Since the 1980s, the Japanese have managed forests to help citizens relax and reduce stress.

Studies have shown that within just 15 minutes of this immersion, stress levels can decrease while your heart rate and blood pressure improve. You might even feel less depressed, or not as anxious, which is considerably needed during these vexing times.

Virtual Earth Day activities

You could also ring in Earth Day’s half-century anniversary with the help of your phone or computer.

Stream an eco-documentary on the Discovery Channel or Netflix. Throughout the rest of the week, EarthxFilm, an international nonprofit environmental organization that showcases environmental films, is streaming shorts and films that raise awareness for dozens of environmental issues.