Earth Day Is Almost Here

We want to share our favorite earth-friendly books with you! 

These books ignite curiosity, wonder, and gratitude and help bring us back to a place where inspired action can blossom. Some explore the grace and intelligence of the natural world, some celebrate the dance between humans, plants, animals, and planet, and all of them will blow your mind (we think!).

Here's what we're picking up for a fresh dose of Earth-spiration as we head towards April 22nd:

 

Braiding Sweetgrass

by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Beautiful storytelling intertwined with scientific truths of the natural world that read more poetry than textbook. I have both the paperback and the audiobook because I love this tome so much. I highly recommend the audiobook as Robin herself narrates and her voice adds yet another layer of beauty and resonance to the text. I love her voice.

From the back of the book:

"As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world. For only when we can hear the languages of other beings are we capable of understanding the generosity of the earth, and learning to give our own gifts in return."

 

The Hidden Life Of Trees

by Peter Wohlleben

 

It's no secret - I'm a tree hugger. I literally hug trees so it's no surprise that this book made it on the list. That said, I'm confident though that even the non-tree-obsessed of you out there will love this book too. The wonders revealed will completely transform how you view the forest while at the same time giving context to the feeling of reverence many of us innately feel while moving through the world of old growth trees. This is one I dose overtime - picking it up and reading a chapter when the mood strikes.

From the publisher:

"Are trees social beings? In The Hidden Life of Trees forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in his woodland."

 

One Straw Revolution

by Masanobu Fukuoka

 

The One Straw Revolution is a book that will inspire you to think about where and how we produce the food that we eat... and maybe even get you to grow some yourself! Fukuoka approaches each problem with a clean slate and uses commonsense and a fresh perspective to develop unique, wonderful, and sometimes hilarious approaches to growing food and solving the world's problems. It's a short and fun read for farmers and non-farmers alike.  

From the publisher:

"Call it “Zen and the Art of Farming” or a “Little Green Book” Masanobu Fukuoka’s manifesto about farming, eating, and the limits of human knowledge presents a radical challenge to the global systems we rely on for our food. At the same time, it is a spiritual memoir of a man whose innovative system of cultivating the earth reflects a deep faith in the wholeness and balance of the natural world. As Wendell Berry writes in his preface, the book “is valuable to us because it is at once practical and philosophical. It is an inspiring, necessary book about agriculture because it is not just about agriculture.”

Trained as a scientist, Fukuoka rejected both modern agribusiness and centuries of agricultural lore. Over the next three decades he perfected his so-called “do-nothing” technique: commonsense, sustainable practices that all but eliminate the use of pesticides, fertilizer, tillage, and perhaps most significantly, wasteful effort.

Whether you’re a guerrilla gardener or a kitchen gardener, dedicated to slow food or simply looking to live a healthier life, you will find something here—you may even be moved to start a revolution of your own."

 

If you're feeling the Earth Grief, this last one is for you.

Up until a few years ago, Earth Day would fill me with a sinking sadness. Fueled by flashes of the Great Pacific garbage patch, the Amazon burning, and suburban sprawl, the result was a feeling of pure hopelessness. This last book is a beautiful antidote to the paralysis that can come when your heart is hurting for our planet.

Active Hope

by Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone

 

From the Publisher:

“The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, the depletion of oil, economic upheaval, and mass extinction together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face this crisis so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools to face the mess we’re in and play our role in the collective transition, or Great Turning, to a life-sustaining society.”

 

Deepening my connection with nature and this gorgeous planet has been one of the most satisfying pursuits of my life. I hope one of these books will light you up and encourage you to delve deeper too :)

- Eileen