Day 23

Nature

 

How do we help preserve nature?

Introduction

When you think of nature, what comes to mind? Nature is all around us, present in every outdoor space, and holds meaning for each of us in different ways. To truly protect our planet, we need to shift our mindset to value and respect all of it.

Our partner, Climate Stories Project, amplifies voices from around the world, sharing personal experiences of climate change. Through these stories, we can learn, connect, and take meaningful action to protect both nature and the communities it supports.


Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.

Frank Lloyd Wright, American architect, designer, writer, and educator 

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What Does Nature Mean to You?

One of the biggest challenges in our relationship with nature is that we often value land only for its economic worth. We’re all familiar with terms like “capital” and “value” when it comes to money, but what about natural capital? This refers to the Earth’s stock of natural assets—geology, soil, air, water, living organisms, and more. These resources form the foundation of our economy, yet the connection between the environment and economic systems is often overlooked.

Our current economic model tends to prioritize profit over people and the planet. However, approaches like true cost accounting are shifting this by considering environmental, climate, biodiversity, and public health impacts when assessing the real cost of a product. Additionally, many companies are adopting the circular economy, which aims to reduce waste, keep materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. Although crucial for addressing climate change, only 8.6 percent of the global economy is currently circular.

While systemic change takes time, we have the power to support brands that prioritize sustainability. Our partner, Everyone, uses nature to create safe, non-toxic products, including hand sanitizer made from renewable biofuel sourced from beets, trees, and other natural resources.

Revaluing nature’s role in the economy is one step, but we also need to rethink our legal relationship with the natural world. It’s time to recognize that nature itself deserves rights and legal protection.

How Can We Reconnect with Nature?

When we recognize that we depend on ecosystems, rather than dominate them, we start to see nature as deserving its own rights—just like human rights. Over the past decade, countries have been pioneering the “Rights of Nature” movement. Ecuador, the first nation to grant legal rights to nature in 2008, has seen Indigenous communities leading the way in defending these rights. Leaders like Mariluz Canaquiri Murayari, president of the organization Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana, have helped protect Ecuador’s Los Cedros forest. As she explains, “We must recognize that there are living beings that cannot defend themselves—and it is thanks to these beings that we have air, water, and life.”

While granting rights to nature might seem like a new legal idea, it’s not. Indigenous peoples around the world have long understood that nature deserves protection. Valuing ecosystems as we value human life is only ‘innovative’ within the framework of modern Western political systems.

How Can We Be Inspired by Nature?

Nature holds the answers to many of our environmental challenges. Biomimicry—the science of emulating nature’s designs and processes—offers regenerative solutions that can address these issues.

Many everyday inventions come from biomimicry. In the 1940s, George de Mestral created Velcro after observing how burrs stuck to his clothes and his dog’s fur with tiny hooks. In the 1990s, Japanese engineers modeled a bullet train after the beak of a kingfisher, reducing noise and energy use. More recently, scientists designed flexible bionic arms by studying the movements of elephant trunks.

Our partners at the Biomimicry Institute advocate for biomimicry as a regenerative solution, bridging the gap between biology and design. Biomimicry provides practical solutions across industries, offering a powerful way to reconnect with nature and build a sustainable future for both people and the planet.

As you continue your environmental journey, rethinking your relationship with nature is a key step.

PARTNERS

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The Story of Stuff Project
The Story of Stuff Project

EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Explore More About Nature

To deepen your connection with nature and broaden your understanding, we’ve gathered a selection of resources. These tools will guide you toward actionable insights and new perspectives on nature and sustainability.

CHALLENGES

Green

20 POINTS

THINK

Many companies are using their influence to drive positive global change through for-profit models. One impactful way they’re doing this is by becoming Certified B Corporations. B Corps work to reduce inequality, fight poverty, protect the environment, strengthen communities, and create meaningful jobs with dignity and purpose. They embrace a triple bottom line, focusing on benefits for people, the planet, and the economy.


CHALLENGE 

  1. Watch the Videos: Start by watching the videos linked here and here to learn how businesses can positively impact the Earth.
  2. Explore and Research: Visit the B Corp and 1% for the Planet directories to find companies making a difference. Choose one B Corp or a 1% for the Planet member—or find a “B-1,” a company that is both. Research how they integrate the triple bottom line (people, planet, and economy) into their business model, and identify at least two ways they benefit each area.
  3. Share on Social Media: Post a photo of one of your favorite places in nature. In the caption, explain why supporting companies like Certified B Corps or 1% for the Planet members is important. Highlight the company you researched and describe how they positively impact the environment through sustainability initiatives. Tag @TurningGreenOrg, @1PercentFTP, @BCorporation, the company you researched, and use #PGC2024.


SUBMIT YOUR WORK

  1. Create a PDF: Combine your deliverables and a screenshot of your social media post into a single PDF. Ensure your name (or team name), username, and school are included.
  2. File Naming: Save your PDF as firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf
    e.g.: kasie_jones_day23_green_2024.pdf
    Avoid using symbols (including #) or spaces in the file name.
  3. File Size: Ensure the file size does not exceed 5 MB.
  4. Submit: Upload your PDF. A green confirmation message will appear if your submission is successful. If you don’t see this, please try again.
  5. Points: If your total points don’t update, your submission may not have uploaded correctly—please retry.
  6. Score: Points can be checked by going to Edit Profile on the bottom navigation bar. Your score is at the top of the page.
  7. Questions: Direct any inquiries to info@turninggreen.org
  8. Social Media: Share your challenge activities on social media, tagging us on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg, Facebook @Turning Green, and using #PGC2024.
The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greener

40 POINTS

THINK

Granting legal rights to nature might seem like a distant goal, but recent years have seen advocates and governments make real progress. Could you see yourself working to advance environmental law and make the rights of nature a reality? This is just one of many impactful career paths open to you!


CHALLENGE

  1. Compare Regions: Start by comparing your country or region to others like New Zealand or Ecuador, where rights of nature laws already exist. Consider how these examples could inspire the evolution of similar movements in your area.
  2. Research Policies: Look into how the rights of nature movement is currently influencing your country or region. Explore policies or proposals from environmental nonprofits like Earth Law Center, NRDC, or Earthjustice.
  3. Introduce Advocates: Identify the team, individual, or organization advocating for these policies. Share an introduction to their work, their programs, and the impact they’re making. Reflect on how communities around the world can learn from their bold, innovative efforts.
  4. Share on Instagram: Create a 3 to 5-slide carousel on Instagram introducing the policy and the changemaking organization. In the caption, emphasize the importance of their work in giving nature the rights it deserves. Tag @TurningGreenOrg, the organizations or leaders you referenced, and use #PGC2024 and #RightsOfNature.

 

SUBMIT YOUR WORK

  1. Create a PDF: Combine your deliverables and a screenshot of your social media post into a single PDF. Ensure your name (or team name), username, and school are included.
  2. File Naming: Save your PDF as firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf
    e.g.: kasie_jones_day23_greener_2024.pdf
    Avoid using symbols (including #) or spaces in the file name.
  3. File Size: Ensure the file size does not exceed 5 MB.
  4. Submit: Upload your PDF. A green confirmation message will appear if your submission is successful. If you don’t see this, please try again.
  5. Points: If your total points don’t update, your submission may not have uploaded correctly—please retry.
  6. Score: Points can be checked by going to Edit Profile on the bottom navigation bar. Your score is at the top of the page.
  7. Questions: Direct any inquiries to info@turninggreen.org.
  8. Social Media: Share your challenge activities on social media, tagging us on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg, Facebook @Turning Green, and using #PGC2024.
The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

Greenest

60 POINTS

THINK

Reconnecting with nature is where biomimicry begins. The Biomimicry Institute defines (Re)connection as “acknowledgement that humans and our activities are not separate from nature, but are a part of nature, affecting and affected by all other organisms within Earth’s interconnected systems. As a practice, reconnecting with nature encourages us to observe and spend time in nature to better understand how life works so that we may more effectively appreciate and emulate biological strategies in our designs.”


CHALLENGE

  1. Immerse Yourself in Nature: Spend 20-30 minutes in a nearby park, on a trail, or even on a virtual nature walk. Find a place where you feel connected to the natural world.
  2. Observe and Take Notes: Bring a notepad and settle into a comfortable spot outdoors. Observe the natural systems, designs, and interactions around you, and write down anything that interests or inspires you.
  3. Create a Nature-Inspired Design: Identify one system or structure you observed that could inspire a product for human use. Using the design process in this infographic, create a diagram of your idea. In two to three sentences, explain its purpose and the natural inspiration behind it.
  4. Share on Instagram: Post your diagram on Instagram with a caption describing your design and its inspiration. Tag @TurningGreenOrg and @BiomimicryInstitute, and use the hashtag #PGC2024.


SUBMIT YOUR WORK

  1. Create a PDF: Combine your deliverables and a screenshot of your social media post into a single PDF. Ensure your name (or team name), username, and school are included.
  2. File Naming: Save your PDF as firstname_lastname_challengeday_challengelevel_year.pdf
    e.g.: kasie_jones_day23_greenest_2024.pdf
    Avoid using symbols (including #) or spaces in the file name.
  3. File Size: Ensure the file size does not exceed 5 MB.
  4. Submit: Upload your PDF. A green confirmation message will appear if your submission is successful. If you don’t see this, please try again.
  5. Points: If your total points don’t update, your submission may not have uploaded correctly—please retry.
  6. Score: Points can be checked by going to Edit Profile on the bottom navigation bar. Your score is at the top of the page.
  7. Questions: Direct any inquiries to info@turninggreen.org.
  8. Social Media: Share your challenge activities on social media, tagging us on Instagram @TurningGreenOrg, Facebook @Turning Green, and using #PGC2024.
The deadline for entering this challenge has past.

PRIZES

Up to 10 Greener and 10 Greenest outstanding submissions will be selected as winners.

Each Greener Winner will receive: 

  • A selection of products from our partner, Everyone, a Certified B Corp that manufactures plant-based body care products made with safe, natural, organic, and sustainably-farmed ingredients. Everyone for Every Body!
  • Parks Project Leave It Better Essential Clean Up Kit. Join the mission To Leave It Better by restoring habitats and preserving the nature around you.
  • A 20 oz. Wide Mouth Insulated “Outdoor Adventure” Water Bottle with Twist Cap from our partner, Klean Kanteen, a Climate Neutral Certified B Corp committed to sustainability and to making high-quality, durable, reusable stainless steel products.

Each Greenest Winner will receive: 

  • A selection of products from our partner, Everyone, a Certified B Corp that manufactures plant-based body care products made with safe, natural, organic, and sustainably-farmed ingredients. Everyone for Every Body!
  • A Fold-Up Duffle Bag made from recycled plastic bottles from Paravel, an environmentally and socially conscious company committed to the intersection of travel and sustainability.