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Top 25 Acts (to do from home) to Conserve Earth!

This year’s Earth Day theme is Our Power, Our Planet. You can invest time, energy, resources or funds to make our global environment better. For these days until Earth Day spread the word and as MJ says: Make That Change. Here’s a list to make the greatest positive impact on our globe. Some you can do from your couch.

Research Your Food. Of coarse, this first one is a couchable act. Pull 5 items you normally buy. Then look up the manufacturer for earth friendly practices. If they are being sued for unsafe disposal or employee unfairness – Change Brands!
Start Recycling. Most people support recycling, but do you really DO it? The EPA reported on November 2020 only 32% of Americans recycle. A couchable approach is to find out online exactly what your local trash collector accepts in that recyclable bin. You may be amazed.
Recycle More. If you are in USA’s 32% that is doing the deed – Do more. Don’t throw away that can or bottle because of food residue. Put it in the dishwasher, then throw in recycle bin. More items are recyclable now than before. Research new ways to reuse/recycle and find out what else you can put in that bin.
Research Your Trash. Since we’re on the subject, where does your trash end up? Yes, this too can be done from your couch. Check out what happens when trash leaves your home by going to company website. Some waste haulers changed tactics as China refused plastic disposal. Where does your local hauler dump, burn or bury?
Minimize Plastic Waste. Each year over 8 million metric tons of plastic is dumped in oceans. Microplastic particles are endangering marine life. Check out Earth Day Network to find other ways you can help.
Buy Less Packaging. Buy bulk product or choose option that have just the bare minimum non-recyclable packaging. The more packaging you buy the more you need to throw away. That leads to the next action.
Avoid individually wrapped ANYTHING. It may have made lunch or travel packing easier but is all that wrapping really useful. If it was for meals, consider investing in a reusable bento box with compartments for food items. If it was for travel, washable travel bags also have easy access easy clean compartments.
Voice a Complaint. Do it from your couch. Call and complain about local users of take-out styrofoam containers. Ask manager to change to paper or cardboard take-out options. Call back to see if they took action and praise any positive change.
Praise Positive Earth Action.
Start a Vegetable Garden. No need for access to open land – use containers. Grow your veggies indoors near a sunny window. Plant only what you will really eat. Change garden plants each season to have fresh food all year long.
Create a Community Garden. Call your neighbors to share ideas, seeds, produce and more from doorstep to doorstep.
Start a Compost Pile/Bin. A handy addition to any garden, compost can help fertilize what you grow. Also compost is cheaper than store bought fertilizer that may contain unsavory additions to your local earth.
Change Toothbrush/Hairbrush to natural or recycled products. Sadly, these items are still packaged in plastic when newly purchased but it is a start.
Use Biodegradable Cleaning Products. Read labels of cleaners you now have for kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Is it safe for you, your children, our Earth? Some simple items are extremely effective cleaners such as vinegar, baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, citrus and thyme. Check out products by Mrs. Meyer’s, Seventh Generation, Simple Green, Method, JR Watkins, ECOS and others.
Spay/Neuter Your Pets. Also Trap-Neuter-Return wild community cats for humane care of overpopulation. Feral cats pose biodiversity challenges globally. Nearly 100 MILLION feral, formerly domestic, cats live in the US. Feral cats usually die from starvation, contagious disease or injury. Help them. #DoGood.
Join a Clean Up Day. Find a local group or government sponsored effort to clean you region. Volunteer to start small by taking the family out to clean up your block.
Start a Cleanup Day. Start a clean up of your neighborhood or a nearby road or highway. Remember Earth Day is Everyday add your clean up to EarthDay.org map
Look B4U Buy. Check where clothes, housewares and other purchases are made. When shopping online, a couchable act, do a little digging. Find out what the items are made from before purchase. Buy clothing for long term, not one time use. If it is not from a sustainable source don’t buy it.
Eat Local. This may seem an odd for Earth act, but it decreases travel pollution and packaging needs. Plus it supports your neighbors and your community. Win-Win.
Join a local Buy Nothing group. Another way to reuse, recycle and minimize consumer culture.
Consciously Buy Food. Find items that are sustainable. Look for labels that state Fair Trade, Rainforest Certified, Dolphin Safe, etc.
Plant/Care for a Tree. Trees help minimize carbon pollution. Guardians Around The Earth and nonprofits like us offer ongoing tree support. GATE works toward Central California reforestation through reseeding locally sourced tree seeds. Donate to our efforts here. Also larger nonprofits like Arbor Day Foundation, One Tree Planted, Trees for the Future and others help reforest our Earth one tree at a time.
Donate Time/Funds. Donate your volunteer time or monetary contribution to an Earth friendly nonprofit right now. Give to us at Guardians Around The Earth. Give to others – search online to find an organization you love. Every donation is greatly appreciated.

Share what action you take to conserve Earth. Tell a friend. Post a comment. Share on our Facebook page. Whatever action you do our Earth will be better for it.

Wisdom of the Ancestors – Autumn Trees as Connections to Our Past

Autumn’s Embrace: Trees as Living Libraries of Ancestral Wisdom

In many spiritual paths, autumn is the season most deeply connected to our ancestors, to those who came before us. It is a time when the veil between worlds is said to thin, making communication and reflection on our lineage more potent. And once again, the magnificent trees of autumn serve as powerful conduits, acting as living libraries of ancestral wisdom, silently holding the stories of ages past.

Consider the ancient Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree, connecting all realms – from the heavens to the underworld. Or the Celtic Tree of Life, its roots and branches intertwined, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all existence, past, present, and future. These myths reflect a universal understanding: trees are sacred beings that bridge time and space, embodying the enduring spirit of life through countless cycles of birth, death, and rebirth.

As the leaves fall, revealing the strong, intricate network of branches, and exposing the gnarled bark of the trunk, the trees take on an almost skeletal quality. This visual stripping away of the ephemeral can remind us of our own ancestry – the core lineage that sustains us, even when the “leaves” of individual lives have fallen. Their deep roots symbolize:

Connection to Origin: They anchor us to the source, to the very beginning of our family lines and spiritual traditions.
Cycles of Remembrance: Just as nutrients are drawn back into the roots for storage, so too can we draw wisdom and strength from the past.
Endurance of Spirit: The tree survives winter’s harshness, demonstrating that the essential spirit of life, and indeed of our ancestors, endures beyond physical form.

This is a powerful time for ancestral work. Sit beneath an old tree, feeling its presence. Offer gratitude for those who paved your way. Ask for guidance, or simply open yourself to the quiet wisdom it offers. The rustle of dry leaves underfoot can be like the whispers of forgotten stories, and the sturdy trunk a touchstone to the resilience embedded in your very being.

Autumn trees invite us not just to remember, but to reconnect with the vast, rich tapestry of our heritage. In their steadfast embrace, we can find comfort, guidance, and a renewed sense of belonging within the eternal flow of life.

Season of Giving

This is it. ‘Tis the Season. Well, actually every season is a giving season. What can you give that will be appreciated? Here’s five suggestions for TRULY SHOWING YOU CARE. Gifts for every budget.

Give a HUG. Since COVID-19 mandated physical distancing, hugs have been hard to come by and so greatly needed.
Volunteer. Funds are challenged for so many, but time and effort is always welcome. Find a way to give back with virtual volunteering from your couch or in-person volunteering not just this season but every season.

Give Thanks. A genuine thank you goes a very long way. Thank a neighbor, thank a friend, heck thank a stranger just because. Look for little things as well as big actions and be thankful for them.
Forgive. People acting out of fear and stress tend to hurt others. You may have been harmed emotionally, physically or in other ways. Can you forgive another? In years where stress adds with agony and grief, conscious intention seems to have been thrown out the window for some. A bit of forgiveness can be truly healing.
Donate. Join our challenge of 5 for 50/mo. Guardians Around The Earth will seed five native trees for every new monthly donor giving $50 or more who signs up by January 22, 2026. Sign up today by texting GATEGIVE to 44-321. Give in the name of another and honor that person with a generous contribution. THANK YOU!

Rooted in Transition – Trees as Liminal Guardians of the Season

Where Worlds Meet: How Autumn Trees Stand as Liminal Guardians

In the realm of spiritual tradition, liminality refers to the threshold, the “in-between” space where one state transitions into another. It’s where known meets unknown, where possibilities are born, and where the veil between worlds often thins. Autumn, with its descent from Summer’s vibrant life into Winter’s quiet dormancy, is the quintessential liminal season. And at the heart of this transition stand the Trees – ancient, rooted, and utterly attuned to these energetic shifts.

Think of a mighty Oak or graceful Maple in Autumn. Its roots plunge deep into the underworld of earth, connecting to ancient wisdom, decay, and regeneration. Its branches reach high into the sky, touching the ethereal realms of air, light, and spirit. In Autumn, as Tree Energy withdraws from the visible leaves into the unseen roots, Trees becomes potent symbols of this bridging, true liminal guardians. They stand at the portal of the seasons, ushering in a time of introspection and connecting us to the subtle energies of transition.

For those who practice ritual and magick, actually for anyone connected to spiritual traditions that honor seasons, Trees in Autumn offer a unique energetic resonance.

They embody:

Balance in Change: They demonstrate how to stand strong and rooted even amidst profound transformation.
Cycles of Life and Death: They remind us that decay is not an end, but a vital part of renewal, feeding the soil for future growth.
Access to Other Realms: As their leaves fall, the skeletal branches open up to the sky, and their deep roots hold the secrets of Earth itself, symbolizing a greater openness to the unseen.

Many ancient traditions held specific Trees as sacred to Autumn festivals, recognizing their role as intermediaries. Rowan, with its bright red berries, was often seen as a protective guardian against ill will, especially potent as the darkness grew. Oaks, steadfast and strong, offered wisdom for navigating the coming cold.

This Autumn, when you encounter a tree ablaze with color or gracefully shedding its last leaves, consider it a Guardian at the Threshold. Pause and feel its quiet power. It is not merely a tree; it is a sacred sentinel, holding the space between what was and what will be, inviting you to journey inward and embrace the magic of the in-between.

The Great Release – Autumn Trees as Masters of Letting Go

As Leaves Fall: What Autumn Trees Teach Us About Spiritual Release

There’s a palpable shift in the air when Autumn arrives. The crispness, the golden light, and that undeniable scent of damp earth and decaying leaves all signal a profound change. But perhaps no element embodies this seasonal transformation more beautifully than Trees. Their vibrant display, though breathtaking, is actually the beginning of a great letting go, a masterclass in spiritual release.

For months, the leaves have been busy alchemists, tirelessly converting sunlight into life-sustaining energy. They represent growth, expansion, and outward manifestation. Yet, as the days shorten and the sun’s angle softens, the trees begin a deliberate process of retraction. Chlorophyll that gave them their verdant power breaks down, revealing hidden golds, fiery oranges, and deep crimson pigments that were always there, waiting beneath the surface. This burst of color is a final, glorious exhalation before deep rest.

Spiritually, Autumn Trees offer a potent metaphor for shedding what no longer serves us. Just as the tree sheds its leaves to conserve energy and survive the lean Winter, we too are invited to identify and release the burdens we’ve carried:

Old habits or patterns that drain our energy.
Outdated beliefs that no longer align with our true selves.
Emotional baggage from past hurts or disappointments.
External expectations that weigh us down.

The act of a Tree releasing its leaves isn’t a failure; it’s an act of profound wisdom and necessary survival. It knows that holding onto everything would ultimately deplete its core. By letting go, it ensures its capacity to regenerate, to bud anew with fresh vigor when Spring returns.

This Autumn, take a moment to walk among the trees. Observe the falling leaves, not with sadness for what is lost, but with reverence for the wisdom of release. What vibrant “leaves” of your own life are ready to be gracefully surrendered? What energy are you conserving for your own period of inner renewal? Embrace the tree’s teaching, and find power in the great release.

Take a Deep Calming Breath

We all get stressed, these days even more. Ever present electrical currents from TV, computer, cell phones, ambient wifi and other sources adds to anxiety. Enjoying time in Nature helps. But sometimes we need to destress right now! Deep breathing helps us refocus and reconnect to what is important in this moment. Here are a few techniques.

Belly Breathing

Place one hand on abdomen below belly button. Inhale slowly and deeply, feel diaphragm expand lifting your belly hand. Hold full lungs for a few seconds before exhaling. Exhale while feeling your belly hand descend.

Flowing Breath

Do the above while having other hand on chest. Feel your heart rate and notice any changes as you breathe. Concentrate on having your breath fill your lungs and abdomen. Slowly exhale while concentrating on the flow of air in and out. Concentrate on the conversion of oxygen on the cellular level and its flow through your body.

4 Count Breath

Inhale deeply, while slowly counting to 4.

Hold for 4 count. Exhale while counting to 4.

Hold for 4 count. Repeat.