For most of us, February 14th evokes images of heart-shaped boxes, stuffed teddy bears, and blissful couples.  But of all the things we have to celebrate, Mother Nature might just be the most amazing of them all. Through food and water, she provides our livelihood. So how about bypassing the consumerism and the plastic waste, and instead show a little love to our planet, the one that we often take for granted?

These are some of our favorite ways to show Mother Nature just how much we appreciate her, not only on Valentine’s Day, but every day.

#1: Choose Renewable Energy

#2: Bike, walk, or carpool to work

#3: Buy local, or better yet, grow your own food so energy is not wasted on transportation

#4: Reduce or eliminate your plastic use by using reusable shopping bags, mugs, water bottles, and dinnerware

#5: Conserve Energy (Be sure to visit the Energy Saving Tips portion of our website for some helpful tricks)

#6: Raise eco-conscious children

#7: Precycle, recycle, and compost

#8: Volunteer for environmentally focused organizations

Unsplash Photo Courtesy: Key Image) Kyle Ellefson, 1) Zoltan Tasi, 2) Fritz Bielmeier, 3) Mohammad Saifullah, 4) Christiann Koepke, 5) Daiga Ellaby, 6) Annie Spratt,  7) Guilherme Stecanella, 8) Eddie Kopp