The Power of Earth Day

By Guest Contributor April Gaydos, President, Sociedad Audubon de México, A.C.

As surely as the sun rises in the east, Earth Day appears on our calendars every April 22nd. What began in 1970 as a movement that inspired 100,000 people to act now draws over a billion participants worldwide to cleanups, educational fairs, and political events. Yet despite this widespread participation, we continue to face rampant pollution, deforestation, habitat loss, biodiversity decline, water scarcity, and the escalating world-wide disasters caused by climate change. Guanajuato is one of the most affected areas for the impacts of climate change.

In San Miguel this presents a huge challenge to life as we know it and we have little time to reverse course. Bottom line, an annual day of celebrating Mother Earth has not fundamentally reshaped our relationship with her. Future generations depend on our ability to make living in harmony with the natural world a priority.

The scale of change required involves individual effort, institutional reform, and political will. As Einstein famously said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” Individually, small actions like picking up trash, using less plastic, and conserving water may seem minor but shift our priorities and values significantly. Which is why, locally Audubon de México works to conserve our native trees (one of our first lines of defense against climate change); promote habitat gardens for pollinators and other wildlife; remove trash from the Presa and Rio Laja and continue to work on solutions to combat the Lirio Acuatico invasion of the Presa Allende.

We also work to stop polluters and developers who are poisoning our waterways and cutting down old-growth trees.  These are all volunteer efforts designed to not only rally positive community participation, but to inform, educate and make a meaningful impact.

Since 2015, 1600 children have participated in our school-based Niños y Naturaleza program, which brings the world of nature to life within a real-world context to prepare and empower children for the challenges ahead through knowledge, skills and the values they need to as future change makers.

This Earth Day, I invite you to celebrate not only the planet but also our collective power to create change. Because when it comes down to it, the only thing we truly control is our own choices and behaviors. And those choices ripple outward, influencing others, building momentum, and inspiring real change. Earth Day doesn’t have to be just another date on the calendar. Let’s make it personal and meaningful.  Let’s make it a day of renewing our commitment to make changes in our lives that contribute to the well-being of the whole.  We all hold the immense power to shape a better future for life on Earth.  Let’s use it.

April Gaydos is President of Sociedad Audubon de México, A. C. www.audubonmexico.org