Running to Appreciate Earth Day
Earth Day was never something I intentionally celebrated. As a former Angelino, my day to day life was often surrendered by tall buildings and urban sprawl. Sure, access to the most beautiful beaches second only to Hawaii was at my fingertips, but the reality is that city life is detached to nature in a way that I didn’t even notice until I moved to Michigan.
After being admitted to law school at Michigan State University, my husband somehow convinced me to move across the country without knowing a single soul. The transition was not easy. If you’ve ever been to Michigan in January, you would understand the first thing that caught my attention. Laced with converse sneakers and the thinnest cardigan that Target could create, I was immediately struck by the frigid tundra weather.
The second thing I noticed was the trees. So many trees. Growing up in Los Angeles, I thought you had to drive hours before seeing this many trees, but here, they are everywhere.
My husband was immediately smitten with the mitten. As a nature-loving wannabe hipster, he was living his wildest dreams. I, on the other hand, was trying my best to stay warm, not cry myself back home to Los Angeles, and hoard enough bug spray to get me through the mosquito ridden summer that was around the corner.
Eventually, as time passed, my apprehension towards the midwest subsided and I found myself growing an interest in the great outdoors. However, it wasn’t until I discovered running that my interest evolved into passion. Driven by the motivation to get back in shape after having my first child, I turned to running and discovered the beautiful trails across the state. While running is something that is not naturally enjoyable to me, I found the therapeutic effects of being surrounded by nature enough to keep me going. This is when I realized that observing Earth Day and the adherence to the philosophy of conservation is more than a virtual signal but an actual need.
Being in nature helped center me in a way I didn’t think possible, and to my surprise, the positive impact I was experiencing was not unique to me. According to a study of 20,000 people, it was found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces like parks or other natural environments, were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being compared to those who did not spend time outdoors.
If that doesn’t portray the importance of preserving natural spaces and taking care of our world, then understanding the economic opportunity of conservation just might. According to the Land Trust Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to support land trusts across America, found that proximity to protected lands, like National Wildlife Refuges, can increase urban home values by 3.9% and that spending on sport fishing supports as many as 1,900 jobs and generates as much as $64 million in income for workers in the Mat-Su Borough in Alaska.
Regardless of your political leanings, protecting our environment is crucial to both our wellbeing and our economy. Whether you’re a city dweller who ventures into the outdoors sporadically, or a green-hearted hippie who is one with nature, there is space for everyone. For me, running through thickets of trees or passing by babbling brooks, I see a self-evident need to protect the serenity I feel when amongst nature. I hope you join me on this journey even if you are just slowly putting one foot in front of the other.
