Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/962709
from the editor contributors April 22nd marks the 48th anniversary of Earth Day. Do you find it intriguing that our great homeland receives just a single day to commemorate its elemental powers? By Earth, Air, Fire, or Water — how will you connect? Whether you participate in a coastal clean-up or take a sunset desert hike, may you enjoy all that Mother Nature provides in beautiful SoCal or wherever you choose to spend it! In this special Environmental Edition of WLT, we asked a few of our talented contributors to pls consider this question: "With Earth Day on Sunday, April 22, will you do some- thing special to celebrate or do you have any fond mem- ories of Earth Days in the past?" David Christopher (Pg. 18) I celebrate Earth Day daily by doing small, seemingly insignifi cant things like picking up litter at the park, or not buying bottled water, or by recycling my trash; by donating time and money to game-changing organizations like The Pachamama Alliance or the Cit- izens' Climate Lobby; by including Earth in my daily prayers of gratitude as I work to bring a more reverent, light-hearted activism to my spirituality. For me, every day is Earth Day. I'll be celebrating Earth Day with a hike full of gratitude and forest bathing. When I want to slow my mind, let go of a long day, or seek more joy in my life, I step into the forest. Getting my feet on the dirt and letting the green of the trees and warmth of the sunlight wash over me, works every time. I always come out of the forest more relaxed than when I stepped in. Courtney Carver (Pg. 16) This Earth Day I will be in a very important dis- cussion with my community in Ojai about the hidden drivers behind the Thomas fi re which almost consumed our town. We're going to dive into the research behind the Kiss the Ground book by looking at how plants contribute nearly half of the precipitation in our area, and how we can regrow in a way that makes our land healthier and our community safer for generations to come. Josh Tickell (Pg. 9) My nephew Atticus Kern, a young writer, will introduce me to L.A. Waterkeeper on Earth Day. Their refurbished lobster boat sails from the Marina del Rey harbor, monitor- ing the coastal waters to raise awareness about the health of the ocean. All life de- pends on the oceans, the world's largest living thing. I feel more connected to Earth knowing I'll be there. Rick Chertoff (Pg. 27 ) Cartoon: Leah Pearlman 6 wholelifetimes.com Greetings Dearest Readers ~ Happy Spring! Our fair city is fabulous with the rain that brought the beautiful lush greens. Flowers are popping and our town of nearly 19 million peeps is lit with nature's wonders. Let's enjoy! Earth Day is coming and we welcome you to our special Eco / Environmental / Mother Earth / Earth Day celebration. In this issue we talked with experts, environmentalists, leaders, and the like to bring you insight and wisdom about how we can all live together and take care of this "Strange Rock" planet we call home. Perhaps you noticed the beautiful art on our cover? Immense gratitude goes to world-renowned photographer Carl Studna who shared his powerful visual gifts with all of us this issue for Earth Day. He's photographed luminaries from Paul McCart- ney to Elton John to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his work has graced the pages of Rolling Stone, TIME Magazine, and now Whole Life Times. Enjoy! What will you do for Earth Day? Pls email us to let us know. Contact me directly at gina@wholelifemagazine.com. We want to hear from YOU! It's always wonderful to go to the beach or take a hike in our mountains. One possibility to enjoy the great outdoors while making a valuable difference is to volunteer with Friends of LA River. The 2018 CleanUp will be held at nine sites along the en- tire length of the LA River on the last three Saturday mornings in April. We look forward to seeing our amaz- ing readers as well at any one of the many fun events and festivals in the upcoming months. Here in LA, consid- er going to Revela- tions at Agape or Yogananda Fest in Torrance. Feeling like time in the des- ert? Why not head out to Joshua Tree for the annual Shakti Fest, fi lled with music, meditation, mantra, yoga, and more. If you are staying in town, come out to VegFest in Encino in May and meet thousands of like-minded vegans while exploring hundreds of booths and speakers. They even have a vegan beer and vino garden. Toward the end of the month, and the beginning of corpo- rate Summer, break free over Memorial Day weekend and check out four fun-fi lled, packed days of Lightning in a Bottle at Lake San Antonio. The festival looks incredible with music stages, eco-stages, education, art, wisdom, discussion, yoga, and tons of fun places to play, eat, relax, and explore! And pls visit our Whole Life Times advertisers. Pls support them and let them know you saw their ad in WLT! Spring is here ~ Let's take a breath of fresh air and give grati- tude to all that our Mother Planet gives to us unconditionally. It's a new day and the return of the Light! We are so happy to have you as part of our Whole Life Times community as we take this journey together. With gratitude and love ~