The Invisible Rights That Hold Us: Flag Day 2025

Today is Flag Day, 2025. There's a lot of fanfare going on in and around Washington, D.C. today to honor that and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. All of which has caused me to reflect on our the flag and the heart of some of our founding American documents:

❤️ Our 1776 Declaration of Independence and it's powerful theme: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

🤍 Our 1777 adoption of the flag and how Flag Day was first formalized in 1916 by President Wilson then officially recognized by Congress in 1949 as an annual day of honor and celebration.

💙 Our Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791, naming the first 10 Constitutional Amendments and our fundamental freedoms worth fighting for: free speech, religion, due process, right to assemble, and more.

Embedded in all of this is the knowledge there are other freedoms that aren't printed in these doctrines, but they are equally important. Ones with environmental impact, ones without which we cannot live. Maybe they aren't etched in marble or housed in the National Archives, but they are necessary. Quieter, simpler, maybe softer, silent, and invisible. Yet, they are vital and hold us all the same.

Click through the slides below to see the 10 Invisible Rights That Hold Us (and that we should hold dear):

“The Invisible Rights That Hold Us” by Dabrowka, Ms. Vicki

So this Flag Day, while the flags are raised for our country--a country with a long, layered history based on principles, resilience, strength, and democracy while also flawed and imperfect--let’s raise our awareness too of these other rights. These invisible rights. Let's protect them, and in doing so protect each other. 

Sometimes that comes quietly in observation, and sometimes we need to speak up when it counts. Here are three places that can help you do that:

• Learn how environmental law protects invisible rights at Earthjustice.
• Explore how enviornmental rights & human dignity are intertwined at The Center for Human Rights and the Environment.
• See how businesses are rethinking their impact in protecting our shared future via climate action at We Mean Business Coalition.

Images created at canva.com.

The Art & Science of Going Barefoot

One of my favorites on Instagram to follow is @aesthetic_logophile. The posts are always a pairing of a beautiful scene with an unusual word defined. It's a wonderfully lovely way to pair words and nature, two of my favorite things. 

One I recently came across was "nelipot"--a word I was not at all familiar with (which is the frequent point of this Instagram page and posts).

Having recently come back from the beach, where toes in the sand are a must, it's no surprise it spoke to me. Maybe too because it's Labor Day Weekend, and the last hurrah of summer. The barefoot days of summer (which are dwindling a bit faster each day) just sing of freedom, comfort, and a state of greater relaxation. But I think it also stayed with me because I like to live life barefoot most of the time. I'd work barefoot if I could get away with it!

There's a science behind this, called "grounding" or "earthing." As both names imply, it is all about getting energy from the earth through physically connecting with the Earth via touch. Typically this is done through bare feet, but it also could come via sitting on the ground and placing your hands on the Earth as well. 

Historically as people on this planet, we were more in touch (literally) with the land. Thinking back to the hunters and gatherers, then later the planters, we used to have more direct contact with the soil, the ground, the earth. Yet we all now have become inside people--complete with all the digital distractions that come with it. Further illustrating our collective Nature Deficit Disorder. 

Research has found that by being in contact with Earth's electrons (and unplugging from your indoor, digital environment), you can get benefits including natural antioxidants that help reduce inflammation, lead to better sleep, lower stress and anxiety levels, & improve blood flow and healing. Furthermore, according to WebMD, a 2020 report indicated the health benefits of grounding to "counteract cardiovascular, respiratory, neurodegenerative, and auto-immune conditions, type 2 diabetes, and cancer." All those benefits? Definitely worth a try!

Thinking about it, it's another part of the full sensation of Vitamin N: Nature in that it is another way to engage all your senses in nature. Sights, smells, and sounds are common connections we think of when we think about the benefits of nature. Additionally, we often think of the Vitamin D we get from the sun; but, we often don't think of how energy can come below us. Ironically, according to WebMD, grounding sometimes is called Vitamin G, which adds to our alphabet soup of eco-vitamins!

There also is a whole level of products you can purchase to bring some of that grounding (and its benefits) indoors, but I like getting Earth's energy from the source--being barefoot outdoors and the beauty of the nelipot concept.

I've written about grounding twice before:

• Barefoot Badminton & Exploring the Idea of Earthing (May 28, 2016)
  
• Footloose & Fancy Free--Sans Shoes (July 3, 2019)
  

So next time you've had a stressful day of work (or maybe even this Labor Day weekend), maybe what you really need is to kick off your shoes and stretch your toes in some backyard grass or some beachy sand, soak energy from beneath your feet while maybe even the sun from above. It literally may make you feel more grounded!

Nelipot photo from https://www.instagram.com/aesthetic_logophile/?hl=en, Grounding/Earthing facts from https://www.webmd.com/balance/grounding-benefits, Health benefits image from https://nexusnewsfeed.com/article/consciousness/studies-show-what-happens-to-the-human-body-when-we-walk-barefoot-on-earth-1

Goodbye, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols

Earlier this week I was deeply saddened when I ran across the following on Dr. Wallace J. Nichol's social media feed (which I follow on both Instagram and Facebook). Nichols, who regularly went by J on his own website, wrote the book Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do. Published in summer of 2014, this marks the 10 year anniversary of his book. Blue Mind happens to be one of my top favorite books of all times, and I have read it at least 3 times....and written about it more than that, as you'll see in my list below.

Seeing this highlighted social media post this week was the first I'd heard of his passing, at the age of 56--far too young AND far too close to my age! News like this never seems realistic when the person passing is fairly young. For years I've been waiting for his next book because I literally "soak up" his writing and couldn't get enough. Now I see that other than his children's book Dear Wild Child: You Carry Your Home Inside of You that he wrote with and for his daughter after California wildfires took their home, that dream of mine will not come to be.

I am mourning this loss of J and how his "blue mind" message was so powerful to me. It probably doesn't help that the '80s girl in me (who has recently watched Brats by Andrew McCarthy and a lot of Brat Pack movies afterward for nostalgia sake) has seen the recent loss of other icons from my younger years: Richard Simmons, Bob Newhart, Shannon Doherty, Dr. Ruth, Martin Mull, and Donald Sutherland. These "younger" losses hit even harder. Especially when I don't feel my calendar/chronological age.

I've been comforted reading about the lost of this blue mind hero of mine with the following tribute articles written by some big name publications in the world of environmentalism, outdoor education, and sustainability.

• Outside Magazine's post "The Legacy of Wallace J. Nichols, Founder of the Blue Mind Movement by Michael Roberts (7/2/2024)

• Plastic Pollution Coalition's post "Honoring Dr. Wallace J Nichols, Longtime Friend and Advisor to Plastic Pollution Coalition (6/16/2024)

• Santa Cruz Works' post "Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols: A Champion of the Blue Mind" by Doug Erickson (6/17/2024)

• Turtle Island Restoration Network's post "Turtle Island Restoration celebrates the life of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols" by Founder Todd Steiner (7/3/2024)

• National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's post "Foundation Statement on the Passing of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols" by President/CEO  Joel R. Johnson (6/19/2024)

Here is the post on his own website by his family announcing his passing:  "In Memory of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols" (6/21/2024).

In reading so many articles about Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, I even learned he wrote a post on his Patreon site right before his passing, showing all of the upcoming plans he had and how his work was not done. He had plans.

I also pay tribute to J here with my own list here of past posts I've written on the concept of Blue Mind:

• My Backyard BFF  (8/17/2016)
• Blue Mind: The Book  (4/24/2019)
• Outdoor Adventures: Punta Cana's Scape Park  (9/21/2019)
• Blue Mind Days & Hours Outside, Summer 2020  (9/19/2020)
• Blue Mind Revisited  (6/26/2021)
• Green & Blue: What the Doctor Ordered  (7/7/2021)
  
• #Blueminding in Duck, NC  (7/14/2021) 
• Blue Marble Project  (8/17/2021)
• Blue Mind, Concert Style (8/28/2021)
  
• Blue Mind to the Rescue  (10/13/2021)
• Hydrotherapy for the Win  (11/13/2021)
  
• Benefits of Blue & Green Spaces  (8/12/2023)
  
• World Blue Mind Day: July 23rd  (7/22/2023)

To contribute toward the continuation of his work, you can visit The Dr Wallace J Nichols Memorial Fund GoFundMe Page. Here too, you can read his incredible biography of all he accomplished in his 56 years!

J, you will be missed, far and wide. My thoughts go out to your friends and family who feel their immediate holes in their heart and lives where you should still be. Thank you for your work in marine biology, your books, your environmentalism, your Blue Mind Movement, and for putting words in place that beautifully describe my relationship with water.

Wallace J. Nichols' photo quote created by me in Canva.com using words from the text of "Blue Mind" for my June 26, 2021 GTG post: https://www.greenteamgazette.com/2021/06/blue-mind-revisited.html; photo image with Dr. Wallace J. Nichols & blue marble from https://www.santacruzworks.org/news/celebrating-the-life-and-legacy-of-dr-wallace-j-nichols, Google Slide images created by me, with social media posts from July 23, 2024 https://www.facebook.com/wallacejnichols/posts/pfbid037zM699sknKzGKjupCefJ2PmZD4UKnbBgxxrMddQ87edasPKNhKGttPu8GqmBqhfdl, video from https://youtu.be/0dgNVSV1qow?si=lDOWcH6DFrg032jv

4th of July 2024

Happy Birthday America!

4th of July, our country's birthday, is definitely one of our biggest national holidays in the US. 

Parades, picnics, barbecues, flags, festivities, and fireworks all are part of this national celebration.  

Were there to be a red, white, and blue birthday cake, we'd be placing 248 candles on the cake for the country that was "born" on July 4, 1776.

Every 4th I like to post a little something about the holiday:

• ways to celebrate in an eco-friendly way; 
• ways to add a little environmental green to your red, white, & blue routine;
• ways to honor our country by getting outdoors, etc. 

To check out my thoughts on all those topics and what I've written in the past, you can easily go back into the archives for 4th of July. May they serve as inspiration to tie together patriotism and environmental stewardship.

In thinking about what to write this year, I started thinking about the symbolism of our nation's colors, thinking about how they can tie in to both environmentalism as well as the meaning of the holiday. It led me to become a bit philosophical and even include a little play on words:

♥️ Red

The color word "red" is a homophone for the past tense of the verb "to read." As Americans, we definitely should be well-read! My challenge for you is that during this week of our nation's independence, make time and take time to read. Read it all: history, biographies, environmental stewardship, social justice issues, the news, non-fiction, and more. With it being an election year, being informed, well-read citizens is the best present we can give our country!

🤍 White

The color white can symbolize a lot of ideas: purity, honesty, innocence, cleanliness, equality. It even is the color of those racing, chasing arrows on our recycle symbol. All good food for thought. The white daisy photo above reminds me of the adage "stop and smell the flowers." Which of course is synonymous to "live in the moment." This is something that holidays often tend to help us with because they are rare and precious, and we tend to NOT take them for granted, not in the same way we often do during our "regular days." Smell the flowers this 4th of July. Appreciate your holiday. Treasure the gifts of your nation, your friends, your family. 

💙 Blue

Being both the color of the sky and of water, blue is the perfect symbol for "being outside." Take time this holiday weekend to soak up some sun, get some Vitamin N (Nature), and romp around outside. Ground yourself in nature. Unplug. Counter your tech time by spending some time in the great outdoors. Breathe in the beauty that surrounds in the world outside our walls! 

May this Independence Day be filled with many remarkable moments

and memories in the making!

♥️🤍💙      

Images created at Canva.com.

"Bee" Kind to Bees 🐝

Someday we may be the proud owner of some bees and a bee box (or two). My husband's been looking into it with some county education classes--much to my son's chagrin. (My son will come around one day).

Bees are vital to many areas of our grocery story, yet bees are in decline. So doing what we can to help them is a good thing!

You don't have to join BeeKeepers of America to lend a helping hand to our flying little friends. It can be as simple as what you plant in your own yard. This illustration from Hannah Rosengren gives some great ideas on how to build a bee-friendly yard.

Video from https://youtu.be/r7EpQnzbwA8?si=v7G3zpkDhqKpSwjr and https://youtu.be/LmBUq103u-M?si=jXvIJAZyTSOVjfsW; image from https://www.hannahrosengren.com/help-save-bees

The Power of Parklets

Funny....sometimes when you run across something for the first time, the next thing you know is that you are seeing it everywhere. 

This is what happened to me regarding parklets.

A parklet is a little do-it-yorself mini park, which urban areas and city dwellers are creating more and more of to counter green up the space, cutting down on the concrete jungles of urban areas. They help soothe both our physical and mental health by providing these pockets of green.

I ran across parklets in the the OneTreePlanted article by Gabrielle Clawson entitled Good News! 30 Positive Environmental Stories From 2023, which I used for the creation of my March 6th blog post "Postivtive Environmental Stories for 2023." Parklets was listed as Clawson's #12 item. 

Parklets reminded me of downtown Annapolis during the pandemic. Restaurants took away parking places on the street to bring out planter boxes and more tables so that people could have the restaurant experience while dining outside. String some lights, make it cozy, bring in the greenery, and voila--goregous outdoor seating, with friends and family, for safer, accessible, open air dining during Covid times.

Next thing I know, parklets and their nature and health benefits are everywhere!

Parklets started their modest beginning in 2005 in San Francisco, and since then have begun popping up in many different ways. They bring about greater connections and a sense of community. They widen and invite greater outdoor living. It all is part of what makes a community "livable."

Looking for all the benefits parklets provide: Check out any of these articles: 

• Happy Eco New's Parklets: A Small Way to Make Big Cities More Livable
• Guardian's More Flowers, Fewer Cars: The Rewilders Turning Parking Spaces Into Parks
• Georgetown University's Creating Community and a Sense of Place, One ‘Parklet’ at a Time
• Washington DC's Department of Transportation Parklet's Program Guide
• National Association of City Transportation Officials' Urban Street Design Guide

In the market to make your own? Check out Happy Eco New's How to Build a Parklet DIY.

With spring having sprung, makes me want to go out and find a li'l parakeet of my own to go and just soak in the sun, maybe a snack, and enjoy a little people watching along the way!

Images from https://scs.georgetown.edu/news-and-events/article/7858/creating-community-sense-of-place-parklet and https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/1/19/baltimore-wants-permanent-parklets and  https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/covington-parklets/ and https://www.capitalgazette.com/2019/09/01/parklets-in-west-annapolis/

Earth Hour Is Here: Tonight, March 23 ~ 8:30 -- 9:30 pm

What are you doing tonight, Saturday, March 23 from 8:30-9:30 pm?

Earth Hour is here, during that hour, in your time zone. 

Want to learn more--check out my recent post on Earth Hour.

Best part of being a part of Earth Hour is the highlight of how important one set 60 minutes for one person is when it is multiplied out by hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, globally. It shows the importance of the act of one to make a difference and highlight the importance of our planet. 

Timing really is perfect this year, the day after the annual United Nations Environmental holiday World Water Day--a day highlighting how important it is for people worldwide to have access to clean water. Maybe even paying attention to your water consumption today is a great way to start honoring Earth Hour!

If you are looking for ideas on what to do for you, your family, or your kids, check out these ideas, all from my 2018 Earth Hour post:

• Stock up on candles and light them up as you knock out all your other lights at 8:30 pm.
• Unplug and have some good ole fashioned non-tech time.
• Play a game of night time Hide & Seek.
• Have a candlelight dinner... perhaps al fresco.
• Roast some marshmallows over a bonfire with good friends.
• Take a moonlit stroll.
• Spend some time in reflection and meditation.
• Play board games with your family by flashlight.
• Go stargazing.
• Take a night hike.
• Tell ghost stories.
• Take time having great conversations and quality time with someone you love.
• ...the sky is the limit! Create your own fun! 

Additionally, you can check out the resource over at Earthhour.org:

• Earth Hour's "Give an Hour for Earth" resource bank--lots of great ideas are listed here and you can click through to find things that are in your passion-sphere and wheelhouse.

• Spend your hour learning more either through their fiveEarth Hour Webinars or their page: I Want to Learn More About: Nature Loss & Biodiversity, Climate Change, or the Solutions & How to Help 

• Earth Hour Education Pack--download some kid-friendly ideas to get the whole family involved.

Video from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAPJ4IEs_EY, image from https://www.3blmedia.com/news/earth-hour-2024-wwf-give-hour-earth

The Beauty of Each Season: Spring

Spring is my season! The warming of the days. The daylight getting longer. The freshness and color that starts sparking the world. The winter hibernation coming to the end. 

It is the season I wake up. 

The first day of spring this year happened on March 19th. 

I'm always curious why sometimes it's the 21st or the 23rd, and know it has to do with the rotation of the planet and it's tilt, plus throw in a Leap year, and it always shifts slightly. In fact, this year is the earliest it has ever been in the 128 years of recording this data.

But spring is here, and there truly is beauty all around.

Following suit from my last "Beauty of Each Season: Winter," I popped back to @PositivelyPresent's Instagram page and found her graphics on Spring--so whether it is your season or not, my you find some love and lessons in this season!

Images from https://www.instagram.com/positivelypresent/?img_index=1 and spring photos from my camera, compiled in canva.com

Nature Journaling

This weekend has been a pretty one. Sunny leaves all a rainbow of crisp fall colors. A little warmer than normal for the first weekend of November. Downright idyllic.

For our house, we have a big playoff ahead and will be spending the day outdoors. Couldn't have asked for a better day for it.


While I'll be knee deep rooting for the home team, others will be taking advantage of the beautiful day in other ways. Some will be meandering in downtowns, weaving in and out of cute shops. Some will be hitting up apple, pumpkin, or other fall festivals. Still others might be hiking about in the woods, watching squirrels frolic in the leaves or searching for nuts.

And others might be following in Eriko Kobayashi's footsteps. Encouraging others to grab paper and pens and bond with nature in another way. Eriko Kobayashi is Japan's sole nature journaling instructor. She encourages folks (largely those who busily live in the city) to get outside and connect with both themselves and nature by guiding them to journal and take notice of what surrounds them in the great outdoors. 

The practice of nature journaling started in the United States, and gained popularity during the pandemic. Not only was it a way to create space outdoors during social distancing times of Covid, but it is also a great way to decompress--an outdoor meditation time with surrounding nature sounds. Additionally, it stimulates your brain through observation and concentration, while also adding a hands-on component with the journaling.

Nature journaling is credited to Clare Walker Leslie, a self-taught naturalist from the United States. "Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You," one of the nearly dozen books written by Clare Walker Leslie (this one in 2003). Over the years, nature journaling clubs have gained momentum world-wide. Kobayashi has stated that there are more than 140 that span the glob.

To read more about Eriko Kobayashi's nature leadership through journalling, check out this article in The Japan Times: "How a Notebook and Some Pens Can 'Connect Yourself to Nature' by Niko Nojima. Likewise, check out Clare Walker Leslie's website.

To find a Nature Journaling Club, check out these links:

• John Muir Laws: Find (or start) a Nature Journal Club Near You!
  
• International Nature Journaling Week's Website
  
• Educating Children Outdoors' Nature Journal Club page
  
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Nature Journaling Page

Images from canva.com & my neighborhood tree picture and https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/11/02/travel/travel-nature-journal/ 

The Beauty of Each Season: Fall

I've had the opportunity to be outside quite a bit this fall. A couple of festivals. Walks in the park with friend. A hike or two. And just being out and about and paying attention on pretty days.

We all should make the time to do all of that!

As the calendar shifts to November, and we dive deeper into fall, and as I look outside my window and see the sun dappling on the leaves that are changing daily, I'm taking a pause. Each season certainly comes with its own beauty. Let's all make time this November to get outside and take notice of the beauty that surrounds!

Image created on Canva.com with my own photos.

Fall Into Fall Bingo Board

October is a month of color and seasonal fun. It provides lots of opportunities to get out there, enjoy the brisk weather, and have fun with your family and friends. Time to get plenty of Vitamin N: Nature!

Here's a Fall Into Fall Bingo Board. How many can you tackle this fall?

Ideas in part inspired by https://www.mdmountainside.com/blog/post/top-fall-activities-to-cross-off-the-list/; Bingo board created at Canva.com To print more easily, go to: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFvYeU0OTk/d5jTX-xx0fUWmi8muaijTQ/edit?utm_content=DAFvYeU0OTk&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton 

Father's Day Nature Cards

Father's Day is less than a week away. Are you planned and ready for how to make the father or father-figure in your life feel special?

If not, there's still time to prepare and make a homemade, heartfelt, and nature-themed card. Check out this video created by Mother Natured, then get outside and get your materials (and your puns) and start creating!

(And, there's a companion video for Mother's Day, if you are into planning ahead for next year! 😉)

Video from https://youtu.be/9lM_4A7uLS8 

Nature Activities for Kids

Because Earth Day should really be everyday....

Because spring has spring.... 

Because kids need to be outside more and get more Vitamin N...

And because I absolutely love this graphic....

graphic from https://www.facebook.com/MindShift.KQED/posts/pfbid02Rn8AZxPQSoAWiSa1PkqyQjepk1LG58Zjxa9GYEMAtUyuBqBgbMFZvZVMmVNmQyXFl