Earth Day 2021 – a renewed appreciation

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After the crazy COVID-filled year, Earth Day 2021 was a day for teens to celebrate their new found appreciation for the Earth. 

During lockdown we all were confined to our homes. As teens are social butterflies, many could not stay away from their friends and instead opted for outdoor gatherings. This included picnics, beach days, or simply meeting up in a friend’s backyard. Teens discovered a newfound love of nature – for now they could meet up with their friends safely while also being away from technology and life indoors. 

This renewed discovery of the outdoors gave rise to a greater appreciation for the Earth’s beauty with teens sharing photos on social media of previous vacations showcasing some of the world’s natural beauty. This day was also used to bring attention to several environmental challenges. 

Mrs. Thome, 7th Grade Science Teacher wrote, “I believe that your generation has a resilience honed in you through [COVID-19] which will enable you to focus on the big problems besetting the Earth . . . your generation has an awareness of the urgency and has the persistence needed to make change happen.” Teaching at Carrollton for over four years and many more in Singapore, Thome observed, “how positively students have used their tech skills to organize and communicate shared concerns and to implement actions.” 

Since the Earth’s natural beauty is not always best seen and appreciated in a picture, with COVID cases decreasing, traveling is becoming less of a dream and more of a reality. After the experiences of 2020, teens have learned not to take the gift of this beautiful world for granted. Mrs. Thome wrote, “life is much more precious and precarious than you knew before. It’s clear how interconnected we all are on a global scale, and how much we need each other to work together.”