Bookish Ways to Embrace Earth Day

“Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.” - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Spring always makes me feel grateful for our amazing planet. Seeing how resilient it is, watching the cycles of regeneration and rebirth, stimulating all my senses with the joys of Spring - it's no wonder Earth Day falls in this fabulous season!

Here's a roundup of bookish ways to enjoy Earth day (or any day, really).

Reading

Non-Fiction

The Optimistic Environmentalist by David R. Boyd

This is just like it sounds - a wonderfully optimistic look at our planet and where we are headed. So much non-fiction on the current state of our planet can be pretty negative, and you leave the book feeling a bit hopeless. Boyd's perspective brings such hope, and although it's full of statistics and facts, it reads like an empowering manifesto. The focus of his writing is the amazing achievements that have already been made, and the projects that are well on their way to having a profound impact on planet Earth. Importantly, Boyd touches on our responsibility to be better stewards of the earth and to realize that more and bigger is not always better (a sentiment that as a minimalist, I find very true indeed). His calls to action at the end of the book are inspiring and in his acknowledgements, he thanks Canada which is pretty awesome.

Fiction

By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison

This delightful, short novel may have been intended for younger readers, but if you are young at heart and love the earth as much as I do, I know you will love this story. The nature-based, cottage-core aesthetic is strong in this book, painting the most beautiful pictures in every scene. This story follows three little people (faerie-sized) who have been caretakers of the earth for hundreds of years when one of them begins to slowly disappear. Leaving their home in an ash tree, the friends set foot on an epic journey to seek out old friends at Folly Brook in hopes of halting the mysterious transparency that's causing Cumulus to fade away. A beautiful allegory for how we must care for our earth if we want it to survive, this novel is best read outdoors with a picnic where possible.

“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.” - Barack Obama

Crafting

Press Flowers in a Book

If you have some blooms or foliage in your garden, neighbourhood, or favourite park that you want to preserve, try pressing them in a book! Here is a super easy method to try - the hardest part is patience :)

1. Choose the flowers and foliage you want to press and choose a large enough book to hold them.

2. Open the book to the middle and lay a cut piece of tissue paper inside.

3. Place the greenery/booms on the tissue paper, then place another layer of tissue paper over them.

4. Close the book carefully.

5. Choose to either place something heavy on top of the book or slide a few hair elastics around the book to squeeze it shut - either method should work.

6. Leave it alone for about 4 weeks (I know...).

7. Open up the book and voila! You have preserved nature in the pages of a good book.

DIY Herbal Tea

There is no better pairing for a good book than a nice cup of tea, so why not grow your own herbs to make your own tea?

If you have a small area to plant a tea garden or even just a window box, you could be brewing your own blends in no time.

Top Picks for Garden-Grown Herbal Teas

• Mint: peppermint, spearmint, mojito mint, Moroccan mint etc.

• Lemon balm

• Chamomile: Roman or German

• Rose: use the buds, leaves, petals, and hips - choose those best suited for food/drink

• Lavender

• Ginger

• Raspberry Leaf

• Echinacea

Be sure to harvest your herbs before they flower where appropriate so they have the best flavour and dry them by tying small bunches together and hanging upside down for a week or two. Be sure to store them in an air-tight container and they should keep for about a year. You could also use a dehydrator if you're too excited to wait!

"The Earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shopping

If you're itching to get a new book, why not head to your local library? Not only will the book be, wait for it, FREE, but you will be doing your part to reduce overconsumption by borrowing instead of buying.

And if it's a specific book you're after and there are 24 holds on the next available copy at the library (this has happened to me many times), try visiting a local used bookstore. There is a good chance they will have what you are looking for and you could even bring a few books of your own to donate. Who knows? Maybe someone out there is desperately searching for a copy of Wind and the Willows and you're just the person to put it in their path.

Another great way to support the earth with your shopping is to head to your local Eco-friendly shop or refillery. These shops often carry wonderful, earth-friendly alternatives to a lot of products we use daily, things like dental floss, shopping bags, soaps, food containers, clothing, small gifts, and more. If you're really lucky, you might even be able to support a locally-made brand while you're at it!

But remember, "The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn't buy." - Joshua Becker

Exploring

The best way to honour something is to really appreciate it. Just get outside and read on a park bench or beneath a tree, walk along the river or the ocean, take a stroll through the woods for a forest bath, run through a meadow and sing like Julie Andrews, the sky is the limit!

Want to slap on a pair of gumboots and jump in muddy puddles? Do it!

Feel like taking a chilly dip in the salty ocean? She would love to have you.

Been meaning to climb that local mountain and have a picnic on top at sunrise? What are you waiting for!?

When we begin to cultivate a more authentic and loving relationship with the world, we start to change how we think about the environment and the part we play in maintaining its beauty and splendour.

"The Earth is what we all have in common." - Wendell Berry

Share in the comments below what you do to celebrate and honour the earth or your favourite books/products that are environmentally conscious.