BY: Tasneem Johnson-Dollie

How can you honour World Environment Day? By reading ten of the best World Environment Day quotes to get inspired to get out into the field! 

World Environment Day comes about on 5 June every year and it’s all about promoting environmental awareness and encouraging everyone to add to environmental conservation. 

Let’s dig a bit deeper to find out more about World Environment Day.

The first World Environment Day quote

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations in 1972 and the organisation coined the first World Environment Day quote, detailing what this day was all about.

“The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.” – UN General Assembly, 1972

While the first World Environment Day quote was monumental and informative, it’s a little lengthy and not quite as catchy as the quotes that came after it.

Since 1972, World Environment Day has been celebrated with more than 40 different themes and tallied up tons of inspirational quotes. 

Here are ten of the most inspiring World Environment Day quotes to start you off on your Earth-focused conservation efforts. 

The top ten World Environment Day quotes

1) “The Earth is what we all have in common.” – Wendell Berry

2) “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

3) “Breathing can’t be stopped, but we can change and purify the quality of the air we breathe.” – World Environment Day slogan, 2021

4) “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” – Leo Tolstoy

Image: Jacques Briam

5) “Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries.” – Jimmy Carter

Image: Anel Olivier

6) “What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” – Mahatma Ghandi

7) “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.” – John Muir

8) “Never does nature say one thing and wisdom another.” – Juvenal

9) “A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

10) “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

With so much inspiration to draw from, you may already be raring to join World Environment Day activities. Here’s a look at some of the ways that you can get involved. 

How you can make an impact on World Environment Day

You can add to environmental conservation in lots of little ways right where you are. Consider switching to environmentally friendly household cleaning products, upping your recycling game, or composting all your organic kitchen waste.

And, if you’re looking to make an even bigger impact, there are tons of ways to do that too.

Bushwise Field Guides offers courses designed for anyone passionate about conservation. You could get involved in an online course for nature enthusiasts or even start off your Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA) qualification online.

In this way, you’ll grow your understanding of natural environments, what’s affecting them, and how you can make an impact. 

And, if you’d prefer to take your learning experience to one of Earth’s most sought-after natural environments, you can take part in a hands-on field guiding course or internship set in the African savannah. These opportunities give you the chance to add to environmental conservation on the ground. 

Any of these avenues will have you upping your conservationist know-how and growing your ability to keep adding to environmental conservation in the future. In this way, you’ll also be building on the inspiration and success surrounding World Environment Day this year.

Find out more about our online and in-country courses that you can take part in to make a meaningful contribution to World Environment Day.