Earth Day: From Protest to Practice — Sacred Activism & the Call to Care

Earth Day didn’t start as a hashtag.

It started as a protest.

In this episode, we explore:
🌍 The true history of Earth Day
 🌱 Sacred activism & earth care as spiritual practice
 🌾 Permaculture ethics
 🖤 Climate grief & how to move through it
 🌿 Simple ways to care for the earth every day

Because caring for the planet isn’t just political…

It’s personal.

To find out where you can celebrate Earth Day or Mother Earth Day go to:

https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2026/

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

It begins with the ground beneath your feet, not the idea of it, not the map of it, but the actual earth. Holding everything that has ever lived, everything that has ever ended, everything that is still becoming. Before policy, before protest, before headlines and climate reports, there was relationship. People knew the soil not as a resource, but as a relative. The rivers were not water systems, but living beings. The seasons were not inconveniences, they were guides. And then somewhere along the way, that relationship fractured. Earth Day was born out of that fracture, but what began as a movement can still become a practice. Today we explore the history of Earth Day, where it came from, why it matters, and how caring for the Earth can move beyond awareness into something deeper. A form of sacred activism, a lived daily relationship with the world that sustains us. Welcome, witches, pagans, heathens, spiritualists, and anyone interested in living sustainably.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

This is Old Ways, New Days, where the old ways meet the good dirt. I'm Kayla, and I'm Mel. And each week we explore the sacred art of living close to the land. From compost to covens, chickens to charms, we're reclaiming self-sufficiency, seasonal living, and ancestral wisdom.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Whether you're stirring your cauldron or your soup pot, this is a space for wild-hearted folk walking the homesteading path with intention, magic, and muddy boots. We are so sorry, listeners, but I hope you're still with us. I yeah, I mean, big beyond just the fact that it's springtime and the weather's turning nice and we can start getting into the garden. We both have a million things on our plates.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

I'm packing and painting and cleaning and getting ready to move.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

And I mean, I'm not doing the painting, but my house is being painted. Um, and I'm getting ready for my trip out east to New Jersey. Um, so if anyone's in New Jersey and wants to meet me, Kayla, uh, you know, I'd be game to meet a fellow listener. I know we have a couple listeners in New Jersey.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

We do. We got a designated cat.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Yes. My senior kitty, Zelda, is happily purring away. And the other cats were trying to get in the door, which is shut. The office door is shut. Um, I do have an update on the actual office. Ooh. All of the stuff has been demoed.

unknown 3:33

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

So now it's just a matter of cleaning it out of all any remaining debris and dust and whatnot, and then putting up new walls. Uh yeah. You don't say, I know you can't wait to get in there either. So we're we're getting closer to having our own room. Our own room instead of you know the other room that was meant to be another guest room. Hey, whatever works, you know. Right? So we're excited to be back. We we are sad that we missed you guys last week. We do apologize for that. Tim got away from us. We both, yeah, just both of us just spaced on it. And then of course I thought maybe I could throw in a blooper reel, but that never happened either. Of course. Of course. Alright, so today we are talking about Earth Day. Um, I believe it's only celebrated in the United States. I don't know if it's a global thing. Let's find out real quick. Um, but I know I've I've definitely done a lot of Earth Day celebrations um in our state. There are a ton of activities and things to do, events that happen. Uh this year it is on um, it's usually between April 20th to April 22nd, somewhere in there.

SPEAKER_01 4:58

So, yes, Earth Day is an international event celebrated annually on April 22nd in over 190 countries. That's awesome. Involving over one billion people worldwide. While it began in the US in 1970, which I'm sure we'll discuss this. We will definitely get into that. It went global in 1990. Awesome! That warms my heart, and is now recognized as the largest secular observance dedicated to environmental protection. Sweet. Because if we don't have the environment, we can't live. So the United Nations officially designated April 22nd as International Mother Earth Day in 2009.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

That's so cute. I think that's what we should just rename it. Mother Earth Day. Mother Earth Day, I like that. Alright, so take it away now.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Alright, so Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970. It was created by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, who had grown increasingly concerned about environmental destruction. At the time, the world looked very different. Rivers were polluted with industrial waste, air quality in major cities was dangerous, oil spills were devastating ecosystems. One major catalyst was the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, a massive spill off the coast of California that shocked the nation and brought environmental issues into public awareness. Inspired by the energy of student anti-war protests, Nelson envisioned a similar grassroots movement for the environment, a nationwide teachin. On that first earth day, an estimated 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and campuses. It became one of the largest civic demonstrations in U.S. history. And it worked. In the years that followed, the United States established the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act. Earth Day was not just symbolic, it changed policy.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

So at its core, Earth Day was created out of urgency, a recognition that the systems supporting life were being pushed beyond their limits. But it was also created out of something deeper, a need to reconnect. Industrialization had created distance between people and their food, between communities and their land, between action and consequence. Earth Day became a moment to close that gap. To say, this matters and we are responsible. But over time, like many movements, Earth Day has shifted. For some, it's become a once-a-year reminder, a marketing opportunity, a social media post. And while awareness matters, the deeper question remains: what happens the other 364 days of the year?

SPEAKER_01 8:19

This is where Earth Day can evolve, from event to embodiment. Sacred activism is the idea that caring for the Earth is not just political, it is spiritual. It recognizes that the health of the planet is directly tied to your own. The destruction of ecosystems is not just physical but relational. And healing requires both action and reverence. In this view, planting a garden is activism. Composting is activism. Reducing waste is activism. But more than that, they are practices of reconnection. You are not saving the earth, you are remembering how to live within it.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

One of the most practical expressions of sacred activism can be found in permaculture. Permaculture is built on three core ethics. One, earth care, taking responsibility for the health of soil, water, and ecosystems. Two, people care, ensuring that human needs are met in ways that are sustainable and just. And three, fair share, redistributing surplus and limiting consumption so that resources are not depleted. These are not abstract ideas, they are daily choices. They ask, how do I use what I have? How much do I actually need? What impact does my lifestyle have on the world around me? Permaculture doesn't demand perfection, it asks for awareness and intention.

SPEAKER_01 9:59

So there is one place to begin, it is the soil. Healthy soil is not just dirt, it is a living system, microorganisms, fungi, organic matter, and water retention. And yet globally, soil is being depleted at an alarming rate. Industrial agriculture, erosion, and chemical use have stripped many landscapes of their vitality. Soil stewardship becomes an act of restoration. Even small actions matter, composting food scraps, avoiding synthetic chemicals, supporting regenerative farming, growing even a small portion of your own food. When you care for soil, you are participating in the renewal of an entire ecosystem.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

For many people, engaging with environmental issues brings up something deeper than concern. It brings grief. Grief for species lost, landscapes changed, futures that feel uncertain. This is often called climate grief. And it's important to name it because ignoring it doesn't make it go away. But neither does stain in it. The challenge is to let grief become a catalyst, not a stopping point. Like compost, grief can transform. It can deepen our connection, strengthen our resolve, clarify what truly matters, but only if we allow it to move.

SPEAKER_01 11:38

Caring for the earth does not require grand gestures. It begins with small, consistent actions. Here are a few ways to bring Earth Day into daily life. Start composting, even on a small scale. Grow something, herbs, vegetables, or flowers. Reduce single-use plastics where possible. Support local farmers in sustainable businesses. Spend time outdoors regularly, observing rather than consuming. Learn the names of plants, birds, and ecosystems around you. These are not just tasks, they are practices. Each one strengthens your relationship with the world around you.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Earth Day began as a call to action, a moment when millions stood up and said, This matters. That call still exists, but now it asks something more of us. Not to just to protest, not just to post, but to participate. To care for the soil that feeds us, to protect the water that sustains us, to recognize that we are not separate from the earth. We are part of it. Responsibility is not a burden, it is a relationship. And relationships are built through daily acts of care. So this earth day and every day after, ask yourself, what is the one way I can tend the world that tends me?

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Because the future of the earth is not something that happens to us, it is something we are actively shaping.