What You Need To Know

If we restore thriving nature, we all live healthier, more fulfilling lives while addressing climate change. From backyards to parks and forests, from local rivers to oceans — when we conserve nature, it provides what we need for thriving lives, families, and communities.

1. We are vitally connected with nature and the depend on it for everything we need to sustain ourselves — clean air and water, healthy food, and restorative natural areas.
2. We’re happier, healthier and smarter when we spend time in nature. We’re more energized, calm, and focused after being outdoors.
3. We are currently destroying and polluting nature locally and on a global scale. Air and water pollution now threaten permanent damage to our atmosphere and oceans.
4. Preserving and restoring thriving nature is cost effective and provides immediate physical and mental health, economic, and social benefits.
5. Nature regenerates itself when we stop polluting and destroying it. Many rivers in America that were biologically dead have been restored naturally to thriving ecosystems
6. We have a moral responsibility to insure equitable access to a thriving natural world to provide for ourselves and future generations.
7. Nature is rich with climate solutions. We can remove 21% of US carbon pollution by restoring nature, the equivalent of removing all cars and trucks currently on the road.
8. Protecting and restoring nature is something we all can do today, in our homes, workplaces, communities and beyond.

What You Need To Do

If you care about nature, the most important thing you can do is to live your values. The food you eat, active and public transportation, reducing waste, and saving money help you live a better life. Invite others to join you by sharing your actions, and through advocacy. Pick two actions from the list and do them now in your home, neighborhood, workplace, or faith community.

1. Reduce food waste and eat a plant-rich diet to save money, improve health, restore nature, and conserve resources. We waste two thirds of food produced in the US.
2. Restore nature in your yard and workplace. Shift from grass lawns to native plants and trees and share the benefits with your family, friends, and policy makers.
3. Support local conservation efforts. Connect with organizations to find out about local nature priorities and how you can help with projects like community gardens, tree-planting, smarter irrigation, and urban greening efforts.
4. Advocate for nature in your community. Help others understand the benefits of restoring nature and stopping pollution by sharing your experiences and with simple ideas like turning pavement playgrounds into natural areas.
5. Reduce your own pollution. Buy sustainable, recyclable products. Avoid single-use plastics. Recycle and compost. Urge your local government to support curbside recycling and composting.
6. Advocate for sustainable agriculture, forest management and nature restoration. Encourage elected officials to adopt reforestation policies, and support wetland, grasslands and coastline restoration and fund regenerative and sustainable farming.

Natural solutions are proven ways of reducing carbon emissions and have many co-benefits, including improved health, economic growth, and resilience to climate impacts. Your advocacy and action to pursue natural solutions is equally important to reducing energy use. Take action today!