At REACH Strategies, our work is driven by our love for the planet and preserving its beauty. We took the opportunity to ask REACHers what they love about Earth in celebration of Earth Month.
Amy
Nature is where I recharge and heal. I am amazed by the complexity and diversity of our planet and with each passing day, desire to bring greater attention to just how beautiful our home is and what we can do to protect it.
I’m especially fond of Spring and am enjoying the beautiful blooms we’ve been experiencing this year as a result of unprecedented rainfall. It brings me so much energy!
Graham
When the platypus was first “discovered” by British scientists in Australia, the process for establishing a new species involved sending a preserved specimen back to Europe for analysis and confirmation. Initially, the creature was viewed by the scientific establishment as merely a preposterous hoax. It was so ridiculous in it’s combination of characteristics —previously attributed to entirely separate classes— that they considered it some artificial stitched together chimera!
How could a species have a duck bill, webbed feet, and lay eggs like a bird or reptile, while also being covered in fur and feeding milk to their young like a mammal? It turned out that platypi almost uniquely fit that bucket, accompanied only by a single other wacky Australian anteater species called the echidna. With more scientific advancements and biological research, we found that platypi can even sense electrical fields, using that ability to hunt their prey in muddy water by detecting the electromagnetic fields produced just by brain and nervous system activity!
I love our planet and ecosphere for its endless complexity. Even today, we are continuing to find new species. We have climbed the highest mountain peaks and dived the deepest ocean trenches, but there still remain endless unexplored places and a myriad more magnificent creatures to encounter and research.
Judy
One of my favorite things about Earth is our beautiful flowers and gardens. To me, a budding flower and flourishing garden means Spring and Summer and warmer weather is here for a while. We are so lucky in St. Louis to have a nationally recognized botanical garden and to live in a city where so many people are committed to putting their green thumb to work. Any day that I can “play” in my garden is always a really good day.
Keely
One of my favorite places and outdoor activities is camping on Plaskett Ridge in Big Sur, Ca. It’s a trip I take every year and is so special because I am with my closest friends so immersed in nature and so removed from society. I have never seen more beautiful stars at night than when we camp above the clouds there. I always leave feeling so grateful for the Earth’s beauty.
Michelle
There’s something truly magical about being in nature. My kids and I love spending time at the beach soaking in the sunshine and playing in the ocean water during the summer. It’s our favorite place to be! There’s nothing more refreshing than a day on the sand. My kids have grown a love for ocean life and year round we practice mindfulness of how we treat our earth so as not to disturb the ecosystem. As Summer approaches we are looking forward to many more warm and sunny days splashing around at the beach.
Oshi
I love the ocean and fish in the sea.
I love the animals and birds that are free.
I love the Earth and all that lives,
I love Mother Nature and all she gives.
Stephanie
We LOVE our Earth, and we love Earth Month in our family. We hike as much as we can, we take our dogs for walks in our neighborhood, and we also love gardening. We have a big garden, growing our own fruits and vegetables to enjoy all season long. We also can tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, sauerkraut, and we freeze beans, corn and berries. This allows us to know what exactly has gone into the food we’re eating and allows us to enjoy freshly grown fruits and vegetables all year round. My kids love having smoothies from our strawberries and blackberries in the middle of winter.
Susan
I feel most at home surrounded by nature. My best memories growing up were times spent at my grandfather’s ranch in Cat Springs, Texas. I would get up early to go with my grandfather every weekend.
I could wander the fields, play in the creek and later, spend hours tending to and riding the horses. It gave me a life-long love of our wonderful Mother Earth.
One particular image comes to mind every spring. In a large back pasture, my grandfather planted bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas. The field looked like a lake, it was so blue! So every spring in my garden, I see these flowers and am reminded of those happy times.
Vernon
Earth is not just a place where we live, it’s a place that gives us four different seasons throughout the 365 days in a year. Filled with 24 hours in a day, we are given multiple opportunities on how we can go on about our life due to the nature and climate that surrounds us. That is what makes Earth so great. Living in the St Louis area, my favorite landmark is the Gateway Arch. It’s a national park where you can take your kids to enjoy the outdoors, walk your dog or go for a nice jog. One of my favorite outdoor activities is to go for a walk. This can help clear my mind on a stressful day I might have had. I can self reflect on my life or talk to someone I’m walking with to cheer me up. Animals I love being around or seeing on this Earth are Dolphins. They are fun loving animals that can bring a smile to people’s faces and can do unique tricks in and outside of the water.
