Dear Annie: Showing gratitude to our planet on Earth Day

Dear Readers: Today, Earth Day, is a time for reflection on and gratitude for our beautiful planet. If you are looking for some ways to show your appreciation with time or money, below is a list of organizations devoted to environmental sustainability.

— Community Supported Agriculture. Buying a CSA box allows you to buy local, seasonal produce directly from a farmer. You will be supporting local agriculture and enjoying the freshest foods you can find at the same time.

— National Audubon Society: This organization protects species whose habitats are endangered by climate change and promotes conservation efforts nationwide.

— The Sierra Club: Founded in 1892, the Sierra Club is devoted to protecting and celebrating the most special, exotic places and ecosystems in the world. (The nonprofit’s calendars and notecard collections make for wonderful gifts, featuring breathtaking shots of animals and nature from around the world.)

And now for some of my favorite quotes about Mother Earth:

“When the last tree is cut down, the last fish eaten and the last stream poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money.” — Prophecy of Cree Indians

“If we surrendered to earth’s intelligence, we could rise up rooted, like trees.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” — John Muir

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” — Khalil Gibran

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” — Rachel Carson

“Mother Nature is always one step ahead when it comes to beauty. She’s quite the artist.” — Giovanna Fletcher, Tom Fletcher

“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn’t feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” — Neil Armstrong

“The simplicity of life is universal. Mother Nature is a wonderful teacher.” — Steve Leasock

“What you take from the earth, you must give back. That’s nature’s way.” — Chris d’Lacey

“Earth is the holiest place in the Universe, loving the earth, and loving life is the way to generate positive vibrations.” — Amit Ray

“We walk all over the earth but it never complains of being a doormat. So we give it the highest title of love, adoration and family: praising it for mothering every species and the whole of all humanity.” — Curtis Tyrone Jones

“Whenever you feel down, take a long walk in nature.” — Michael Bassey Johnson

“No one weaves the exquisite quite like Mother Nature.” — Foster Kinn

View prior ‘Dear Annie’ columns

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