As we celebrate Earth Day 2024, it strikes me that the familiar saying, “Earth Day is every day,” may finally be within sight of our collective consciousness. Or it may be that after 14 years of publishing Natural Awakenings and almost five years of hosting and producing the Healthy Living Healthy Planet radio show, my world is so saturated with all things green and sustainable that I’m overoptimistic. That raises the question, “How can we tell whether we’re making progress in getting everyone to celebrate Earth Day all day, every day? How will we know when we’re all making regular choices that take into consideration the condition of this big round thing that we all walk around on, raise our families on, experience life’s joys and sorrows on and depend on for our very existence?”

I suspect most of us care about some aspect of our planet’s well-being, primarily because it affects us personally. But collectively, we aren’t where we need to be, which is the point that caring for the Earth is just as important, routine and time-consuming as caring for our own bodies—because it is just as important, if not more so. Our bodies cannot exist without the life-giving and life-sustaining environment Mother Earth provides. We should be having this conversation with ourselves and others every day, not just every April.

At Natural Awakenings, we think of April as the time for the planet’s annual checkup. Just as my recent annual physical revealed that my cholesterol is a little high, our 2024 Earth Day theme of “Planet vs. Plastics” is telling us that our manmade materials are way too prevalent, and that to sustain the Earth’s health, we need to reduce our use of these ubiquitous materials.

To continue the metaphor, think of all the diagnostics our healthcare providers administer for our bodies such as labs, scans and X-rays. In a similar way, testing and analyses are being done for Planet Earth by talented scientists, researchers and activists around the world. What motivates many people to get involved in environmental causes is a stark realization amid the drumbeat of empirical data that our own health depends on the health of the planet. The challenge, of course, is that they tend to be slow-moving, and by the time we see and recognize them, they’ve already begun to have serious impacts.

I am encouraged by all the people and places that celebrate and care for our beautiful Planet Earth, and this month we highlight several of them. Check out our “eco-travel” suggestions, which include locations across the country as well as in and around North Texas, like Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, High Hope Ranch, Hideaway Ranch & Refuge, and Mineral Wells. They are just an hour or two from the Metroplex, yet allow us to experience nature at its best. And don’t miss the hiking and backpacking tips from the Dallas Sierra Club, our local experts on how to prepare for and enjoy getting close to nature.

This year there are Earth Day events planned across North Texas, opportunities to celebrate our planet and engage with the growing community of people who care deeply about it and our collective future. You can find information about many of these events in our Earth Day calendar. As always, we hope that you will find much in our magazine to help you along your journey to living a healthier life on a healthy planet.

Blessings,