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Join Our Earth Day Campaign: How Does Nature Make You Feel?

This Earth Day, we want to hear from you.

The research tells us what we already know in our bones. Just 10 minutes in nature can improve mental health symptoms in adults (Bettmann et al., 2024, Ecopsychology). Even brief exposure to green spaces reduces depressive symptoms and stress while boosting mood and quality of life (International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 2024). College students who spent as little as five minutes outdoors reported improved mood, regardless of whether they were used to spending time in nature (Bettmann et al., 2024, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing).

The statistics point to something hopeful. People who spent 5-6 hours outdoors during weekends had lower odds of being at least mildly depressed compared with those who spent less than 30 minutes outside (Beyer et al., cited in PMC review, 2021). Recreational visits to green spaces, inland waterways, and coastal areas were all positively associated with wellbeing and negatively associated with mental distress across 18 countries (Scientific Reports, 2021).

But numbers alone do not capture what happens when you step onto sand, soil, or grass. They do not describe the way light filters through a canopy or the relief of hearing wind move through leaves instead of traffic. They cannot measure the weight that lifts when you sit beside water or walk beneath trees.

That is where you come in.

For Earth Day 2026, CVA is running a community campaign with one simple question: #NatureMakesMeFeel ___

How you finish that sentence is up to you. Grounded. Calm. Alive. Hopeful. Connected. Small in the best way. Reminded that I am part of something bigger.

Here is how to join:

Head to Instagram and send us a DM at @conservationvolunteers with how nature makes you feel. We will be sharing responses throughout the week leading up to Earth Day on 22 April, building a collective portrait of why we protect what we love.

This is not an abstract conversation. Every response is a reminder that conservation begins with connection. When we remember how nature makes us feel, we remember why it matters.

We will see you in the comments.