Happy Earth Day! For the fifth year running, we have a special edition for today’s holiday, with three featured stories about the environment and the people who have worked to protect it (you won’t want to miss Jane Goodall’s unaired interview below). Before we get into all that, though, check out WalletHub’s list of the greenest states in America, ranked based on factors like air quality, renewable energy consumption, and fossil fuel emissions.
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Environment
Jane Goodall Is Hopeful for Future of Conservation in Unaired Interview From Final Africa Trip
Age of Union
“The only advice I can give to young people is the advice my mother gave to me, because I can’t think of anything better,” Jane Goodall shared from her seat under a tree in Arusha, Tanzania, last July. “She said, ‘Jane, if you really want to do something like this, you’re going to have to work really hard. Take advantage of every opportunity. And if you don’t give up, I’m sure you’ll find a way.’”
We all know that Goodall did find a way — the British primatologist helped redefine humanity’s relationship with the animal kingdom, believing hope and action go hand in hand, and that both are required to heal our planet. She died Oct. 1 at age 91, but in an unaired interview from her final trip to Africa — made public in its entirety for the first time this week in honor of Earth Day — the activist offers us one more benediction for the future.
The interview is with Dax Dasilva, an entrepreneur and environmentalist with whom Goodall collaborated. The pair traveled together on Goodall’s first trip to the Amazon, becoming close friends. Dasilva, who’s now executive-producing a forthcoming documentary with the working title Just Me, Jane, got to know the real person behind the environmental icon — calling her “very funny.” Watch the full interview.
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“Living Symbols of Hope”: How Wangari Maathai Turned Trees Into a Lasting Movement
Micheline Pelletier—Corbis/Getty Images
Speaking of environmental icons, here’s one you may not know as much about: Wangari Maathai was a trailblazer who spearheaded a profound movement around a simple idea. She empowered rural communities in Kenya, specifically women, to plant trees — 51 million of them (and counting).
In 1977, Maathai founded the nonprofit Green Belt Movement in response to the needs of women who reported that streams were drying up, food was becoming more scarce, and they had to travel long distances to get firewood. Rather than waiting for government aid, she trained women to plant trees themselves, which not only made their lives easier but also helped combat soil erosion and deforestation.
Despite coming up against fierce resistance from the government, the program grew into a nationwide effort that provides women with a small stipend in return for planting trees, allowing them to build economic independence — and something deeper. As Maathai wrote in her 2006 memoir, Unbowed, “Trees are living symbols of peace and hope. A tree has roots in the soil yet reaches to the sky.”
In 2004,Maathai became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize,honoring her workin promoting gender equity, sustainability, and community resilience. Though she died in 2011, her legacy remains rooted in her books, the nonprofit, and, of course, the millions of trees growing across Kenya. Learn more of her story.
Green spaces come in all shapes and sizes — and today we’re shining a light on the littlest of ones. “Pocket gardens” can look like pots of succulents on a median, patches of flowers outside a school entrance, or pops of nature in an alleyway.
Though the spaces themselves are small, the benefits are not, per a recent report from Grist. They can help cool concrete-filled neighborhoods, mitigate flooding, reduce noise, and attract pollinators.
Dan Lambe, CEO of the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation, explained: “This increasing prioritization of creating green spaces in unexpected spots and underutilized spaces in communities is not only going to be making our communities more resilient, it’s going to be making people healthier. A little bit of green goes a long way.”
On a social level, adding life to an overlooked area can also bring neighbors together and help combat urban isolation. “There’s a gravity to this green space that brings people out,” Lambe added.“And all of a sudden, neighbors are connecting, generations are connecting, cultures are connecting. Trees are about the one thing that everybody can agree on.” Get inspiration for crafting your own tiny garden.
In Other News
Meet the Goldman Environmental Prize winner leading the charge to repair a rainforest damaged by a mine (read more)
In place of ads, a Japanese artist’s work is beaming across Times Square’s screens for three minutes at night (read more)
Stunning timelapse footage captured a comet over Yosemite National Park last week (read more)
Philadelphia will provide free subway rides for two hours after all local World Cup matches this summer (read more)
Thousands of sheep made their annualtrek across an Idaho highway — see the incredible traffic jam (read more)
Inspiring Story
113 candles
Sister Francis Dominici Piscatella turned 113 on Sunday, making her the world’s oldest nun, according to Guinness World Records. “I have given up counting my years,” the Long Island, New York, resident said at her birthday party, crediting faith, family, and good fortune for her journey thus far.
Photo of the Day
Kathleen Flynn/Getty Images
Now that Artemis II is officially in the books, NASA is getting ready for the next lunar expedition. On Monday, the space organization rolled out the largest section of the rocket for the Artemis III mission slated for mid-2027, which will test the docking capabilities needed to land Artemis IV astronauts on the moon — and return them back home.
“We are one step closer to testing the critical capabilities needed to land Americans on the moon, and ultimately, paving the way for our first crewed missions to Mars,” NASA scientist Lori Glaze said in a news release. Let the countdown begin!
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