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On this Earth Day, many of us are looking at nature a little differently, whether it’s longingly from an apartment window or joyously on a much-needed family outing. One thing seems clear though: nature isn’t just a frivolous luxury; it’s an essential part of our mental and physical health.

Right now, it may seem hard to consider helping the Earth when so many people are struggling. That’s fair, but remember that there are many free, easy, and yes, even fun ways to celebrate and help our incredible planet. Here are six actions that we at Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Rockies encourage you to take:

1. Learn About Gillmor Sanctuary

´¡³Ü»å³Ü²ú´Ç²Ô’s is a shorebird paradise. Throughout the year, countless thousands of birds use its saline wetlands and shrubby uplands to feed, rest, and nest. Key among them are the huge flocks of shorebirds. But it wasn’t always this way. In fact, most of the wetlands there did not exist until Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ began restoration. Tomorrow, April 23, Gillmor Sanctuary managers Ella Sorensen and Heidi Hoven will talk about the birds that inhabit the sanctuary and how Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ is researching their habitat needs.

2. Support Our Largest Bird-Friendly Garden

One of the greatest threats birds face in the Rockies is habitat loss due to development. Protecting the birds we love will require creating habitat within our growing communities. One of the ways we’re doing that is by planting our largest garden yet at the future site of a solar farm in Longmont, Colorado. As solar energy grows in the Rockies, this project will explore a new model for bird habitat on solar farms. And with more than 1,800 native plants, it’ll be our largest Habitat Hero garden yet. Learn more about the project

3. Share Nature With Your Kids

The sights and sounds of nature are a paradise for curious children. During this time, nature can provide a critical source of entertainment and relaxation for them. Regardless of your current access to the outdoors, we have activities and resources that will help you guide your child’s exploration of nature.

4. Buy Beef Raised on Bird-Friendly Ranches

Across Colorado and Wyoming there are more than 401,000 acres of prime grassland bird habitat on ranches certified by Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ's Conservation Ranching Initiative. When you buy meat from these ranches, you help keep this imperiled habitat healthy and intact. Did you know that there are Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ-certified ranches in Colorado and Wyoming that will deliver meat to your door? With the current health risks of going to grocery stores, there’s never been a better time to order meat from Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ-certified ranches online.

5. Become a Western Rivers Advocate

Healthy rivers are vital not only to birds, but to our health and hygiene. The current health crisis has taught us not to take daily essentials like groceries and toilet paper for granted, and we should value water no less. Access to clean water is an essential part of public health, and where does clean water come from? Healthy rivers. Because rivers unite us across cities and states, it is up to all of us to push for the research, policies, and management that healthy rivers need. By joining ´¡³Ü»å³Ü²ú´Ç²Ô’s Western Rivers Action Network (WRAN), you’ll receive important opportunities to create healthier rivers for birds and people.

6. Speak Up for Sage-Grouse

Every spring across the West, sage-grouse are performing their incredible courtship displays. These birds not only fill us with awe; they indicate the health of the sagebrush steppe, an ecosystem that supports more than 350 species of wildlife and economies across the West. But sage-grouse and their habitat are in decline as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) pursues an energy dominance agenda. Fortunately, more than 100,000 Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ supporters submitted comments on the BLM’s latest sage-grouse plans asking for protections not to be weakened. Sign up Sagebrush Ecosystem Initiative emails to learn about future opportunities to speak up for sage-grouse.