As we gear up for Earth Day on April 22, we wanted to share a few thoughts. Whether you're right or left, or in the middle of the road on this one, we know one thing's for sure. Nature is beautiful, it gives us the fresh air we breathe and the beauty we see. And this year, 2020, is Earth Day’s 50th anniversary of the annual event supporting environmental protection is here. Under normal circumstances, people around the world would be honoring the Earth with Earth Day celebrations and Earth Day festivals. But instead, the COVID-19 pandemic has everyone home stay home.

And while this pandemic continues to remind us that our health is deeply connected to the health of our environment that surrounds us, it also gives us the opportunity to think of creative ways to come together at home to celebrate the world in which we live.

So our team pulled together a few ideas to help you make a difference in the world while you celebrate Earth Day safely.

1. Try a plant-based recipe today. Our chief executive officer, Brett Joerger, though not a bachelor, loves the bachelor soup in the mornings. This recipe calls for one can of Amy's Carrot Ginger soup and field roast chipotle sausage chopped up. 🍲
2. Join Stasher’s Save What Matters campaign by eliminating plastic waste with their reusable silicone storage bags. Since only 1% of the estimated 4 trillion plastic bags used worldwide annually are returned for recycling, every time you replace your single-use plastic bags with a reusable silicone one, you help prevent plastic from piling up in landfills and polluting oceans. A portion of the sales goes to the Coral Reef Alliance, a nonprofit that collaborates with communities to reduce direct threats to reefs all over the world. For those of you who snorkel, we all know how beautiful the ocean is. Stasher also offers 25% off the entire site for a limited time, plus free shipping, to help people save more when it matters the most.
3. Participate in PangeaSeed Foundation’s stay-at-home environmental mural festival, “HOME.” The organization usually works on Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans, which are large-scale public murals that address pressing environmental issues facing the ocean. These public art installations foster a sense of community, belonging, and environmental stewardship. But this Earth Day, the PangeaSeed Foundation is hosting a virtual arts festival that brings together the global community to celebrate with artists painting environmentally inspired murals in their homes. Virtual events include live talks from participating artists, climate action, coloring and a Stay-at-Home House Party. Check out the schedule of virtual events going on from April 21-26.
4. Connect with Earth Day Live and demonstrate your support for environmental protection, and if you it's not something you believe - well, we'd encourage you to celebrate in your own way. The first Earth Day in the U.S. sparked the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. This year, the stakes are even greater - especially during this time of uncertainty.
5. Over the 24 hours of Earth Day (12:01 am ET - 11:59 pm ET on April 22), tune into the Earth Day Network for global conversations, calls to action, performances, video teach-ins and more. The Earth Day Network will also be issuing a new call to action every hour for 24 hours so everyone can take environmental action all day long.