Earth Day playlist, Tree Prints for Arbor Day + Planting Trees with Avant Garden Studio!

Happy Earth Day – 50 Years of Environmental Activism

This week marks the high holidays for earth lovers everywhere! Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day. This year is a milestone: the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, marking the birth of the modern environmental movement. Happy Earth Day to you! Hope you can get outside.

Now, more than ever, we need global activism and unified efforts to work together for the health of our planet. Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has mobilized 1 billion people worldwide. Today, the Earth Day Network is working “to build a historic moment when citizens of the world will rise up in a united call for the creativity, innovation, ambition, and bravery that we need to meet our climate crisis.” We can do so much when we work together. (Find links to more resources at the end of this post.)

A Day for Planting Trees: Celebrating Arbor Day

But wait, that’s not all! Friday, April 24th is Arbor Day! Treehuggers, this day is for you (and me)! Arbor Day started in 1872 in Nebraska as a day devoted to planting trees. Since then, all 50 states have come to observe Arbor Day and planted more than 350 million trees so far!

This week, I became a member of the Arbor Day Foundation. Guess what you get with your membership? You got it: TREES! Select trees to plant in your yard or opt to donate your 10 trees to be planted in a National Forest or Rain Forest. Learn more and consider joining – it’s cheap! (Link below.)

Buy Tree Art, Plant More Trees: Tree Prints Now Online

In honor of Arbor Day this week, I’ve set up a special online gallery of my favorite tree photographs available for purchase in a variety of sizes.

Did you know that just looking at a picture of a forest can improve your health and well-being? It’s a proven Nature Rx. Instant calm.

Every purchase on my website supports reforestation efforts around the globe! Keep reading to learn more…

Avant Garden Studio: Eco-Friendly Paper Goods

Earlier this year I launched a brand-new line of eco-friendly paper goods through my business Avant Garden Studio. Greeting cards feature 100% PCW recycled brown kraft paper produced in the USA with green, hydroelectric power. Products are sustainably printed in Minnesota.

The greeting cards combine my vibrantly-colored, contemplative nature images with carefully-curated inspired quotations. Blank inside with matching envelopes. 30 designs for all occasions. Visit the card shop.

Blank journals come in two sizes: pocket (3.5×5.5) and standard (5×8). Made in the USA from 100% recycled materials with 48 dot grid pages.

All Avant Garden Studio sales support our mission to help the planet!

Helping the Planet, One Tree at a Time

As of January 1, 2020, my business is donating 1% of sales to reforestation efforts through One Tree Planted. Every dollar donated plants one tree. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Last week, I made my first donation and planted trees in India! How cool is that?

$1 = 1 TREE

One Tree Planted works with partners around the world to help the planet by planting trees. They have a great website (link below) with information about why trees are so important. Here’s the lowdown:

• AIR: trees improve air quality. They absorb pollutants, produce clean oxygen, soak up carbon dioxide and reduce effects of climate change.
• WATER: trees help to capture rainwater and help to prevent risks of flooding and landslides. They also filter and clean groundwater.
• BIODIVERSITY: Trees provide homes to hundreds of species including birds, insects, and mammals, as well as plants, fungi and moss.
• SOCIAL IMPACT: From jobs to food, trees provide important resources that support human life through sustainable tree farming.
• HEALTH: Trees reduce stress and help people connect with nature as well as shading us from harmful UV rays! Told you! Nature Rx.
• CLIMATE: Trees soak up greenhouse gases and can reduce pollution and temperatures in urban areas.

I’m so excited to be part of this effort and watch the Avant Garden Studio forest expand as my small business grows! Every purchase plants trees.

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Before I go (remember those links at the bottom of the post), I have a fresh new collection of songs that celebrate love and care for our planet. I hope you get a chance to walk among the trees this week. And maybe grab a hug.

Earth Day, Every Day Playlist

earth love: (9: April 2020)

listen on Spotify here.

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) | Marvin Gaye

Big Yellow Taxi | Joni Mitchell

Two Little Feet | Greg Brown

Into the Wild | LP

Natural Beauty | Neil Young

Mother Nature’s Son | The Beatles

Monument In Green | Big Head Todd & the Monsters

Old Pine | Ben Howard

Nature Boy | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

(Nothing But) Flowers | Talking Heads

Let It Grow | Eric Clapton

Children Play With Earth | Arrested Development

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Further reading/Links:

EarthDay.org – Earth Day Network’s mission is to diversify, educate and activate the environmental movement worldwide.

One Tree Planted – One Tree Planted is a non-profit organization with a focus on global reforestation. They’re on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees! $1 = 1 TREE

Arbor Day Foundation – The Arbor Day Foundation seeks to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

Avant Garden Studio – Eco-friendly art & paper goods by Minneapolis artist Terra Rathai. Every purchase supports One Tree Planted.