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17 Earth Day Quotes That Honor The Environment

by Sarah Bunton

Even though Earth Day is celebrated just once a year on April 22, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the awe-inspiring wonders of life on this planet. Whether you live in the concrete jungle, along the oceans, in the sun-soaked desert, or tucked away in the mountains, you can still appreciate the necessity of this holiday by taking part in environmentally-friendly activities or sharing an inspiring Earth Day quote.

The idea behind why Earth Day is celebrated goes beyond just feeling good about occasionally remembering to bring your reusable bag to the grocery store. From contributing to the formation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to aiding in the passage of environmental legislation such as the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act, Earth Day truly has made some groundbreaking (pun intended) history. When you stop to think about all that has been accomplished through the collective celebration of this event in less than 50 years, you might just find yourself moved to get involved, too.

If you needed some extra inspiration before you head out to clean the beach, start a community garden, or just want to bask in the glory of creation, enjoy these thought-provoking and beautifully touching quotes about nature in honor of Earth Day.

“Keep close to Nature’s heart. Break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” — John Muir

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of each.” — Henry David Thoreau

“I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use.” — Mother Teresa

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead

"As I grew up I was fervently desirous of becoming acquainted with Nature." — John James Audubon

“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.” — David Attenborough

“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” — Theodore Roosevelt

"The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share." — Lady Bird Johnson

“If we surrendered to Earth’s intelligence we could rise up rooted, like trees.” — Rainer Maria Rilke

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” — Rachel Carson

"If we are ever to halt climate change and conserve land, water and other resources, not to mention reduce animal suffering, we must celebrate Earth Day every day at every meal." — Ingrid Newkirk

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together, all things connect.” — Chief Seattle

“If we are to have broad-thinking men and women of high mentality, of good physique and with a true perspective on life, we must allow our populace a communion with nature in areas of more or less wilderness condition.” — Arthur Carhart

"What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself." — Mollie Beattie

elds, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books." — Sir John Lubbock"Earth and sky, woods and fi

"If you know wilderness in the way that you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go. ... This is the story of our past and it will be the story of our future." — Terry Tempest Williams

“Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, the ocean touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume. Everyone, everywhere is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.” — Dr. Sylvia Earle