Heal-Our-World: A Checklist

 

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
~Jane Goodall

 

Heartfelt passion about environmental conservation and sustainability may have been at its peak a century-and-a-half ago when the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 launched the National Park System. Today, the largest motivation for eco-friendly awareness and efforts may be anxiety and concern for the future.

 

Every day, local towns across the globe face mounting challenges from pollution, climate change and depletion of natural resources. While initiatives and governmental policies worldwide play a significant role in addressing some issues, the power of change also lies in the hands of individuals like you and me, right in our own communities.

 

Growing up amidst lush forests and fresh streams along the banks of the Susquehanna River, I didn’t develop a deep appreciation for nature as much as I just took it all for granted. We played in the fields, camped in the woods and fished in the river and local lakes. Looking back over the decades, the degradation of our natural surroundings has been gradual and subtle, yet pervasive.

 

Within our local communities, I’m inspired daily by hardworking individuals, organizations and businesses that support education and take action toward environmental well-being. You’ll find many of them within the pages of this issue, and there are many other neighbors and local leaders that when added together, create an undeniable synergy and transformative power of collective action toward a common goal.

 

But our work is far from over. Across the globe, throughout the nation and within our local counties, communities are grappling with environmental challenges from plastic pollution clogging our waterways to deforestation threatening our ecosystems. Now more than ever, we need to come together and take personal action with environmentally friendly efforts in our own backyards. See this issue’s eco-tip, Heal-Our-World Checklist on page 18.

 

It starts with small, personal changes. Whether reducing our carbon footprint by opting for renewable energy sources, minimizing single-use plastic consumption or supporting local farmers markets to reduce transportation, every action we take has a ripple effect on the health of our local community, our region and planet.

 

By fostering a sense of environmental stewardship within us, our families and community, we not only safeguard the natural world for future generations, but also cultivate a deeper connection to the land and each other, establishing a home we can rely on to feel good, live simply and laugh more.