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Happy Earth Day, everyone! (The irony of celebrating Earth Day cooped up at home isn’t lost on me.)

If nothing else, COVID-19 has taught all of us that, as much humankind constantly tries to test the boundaries, Mother Nature is still very much in charge. I’m so fortunate to be able to make my living photographing this wonderful planet, but isolating in my office with nothing but memories and a few images of the marvels I’ve witnessed has opened my eyes. Having experienced the northern lights in Iceland, rainbows in Yosemite, lightning at Grand Canyon, and the Milky Way above the bristlecones (among many other natural marvels), puts me in a pretty good position to say that no picture can top being there. But after a lifetime of being there, and returning year after year and seeing firsthand how much damage is done by humans’ constant push for “progress,” I’m starting to wonder how much longer we’ll have a there to be.

But there’s nothing like a crisis to crystalize priorities. The whole point of Earth Day is to remind our planet’s inhabitants to care for our home, and never has that message felt so important. Ironically, as we humans suffer through this pandemic, Earth is thriving in our absence: Air quality is up, hydrocarbons are down, sea life is recovering, and by all accounts, wildlife is partying in our shuttered national parks. One lesson here is that the less humans interact with it, the healthier our planet becomes. That doesn’t mean that saving Earth requires never venturing out into nature. But here’s an analogy to try on: Your carpet will last decades if you never walk on it, but that’s probably not practical. But if you simply take your shoes off indoors and vacuum pretty regularly, you’ll extend that carpet’s life many times. So perhaps from now, as each of us uses Earth’s resources, whether that be consuming or just experiencing, let’s make an extra effort to tread just a little more lightly, and leave things just a little better than we found them.

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Earth: These are a Few of My Favorite Scenes

Autumn Reflection, Half Dome, Yosemite

Winter Reflection, El Capitan, Yosemite

Forked Lightning, Point Imperial, Grand Canyon

Autumn Morning, North Lake, Eastern Sierra

Before the Sun, South Tufa, Mono Lake

Day’s End, Ke’e Beach, Hawaii

Bristlecone Night, Milky Way from the White Mountains, California

Here Comes the Sun, Idaho, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way

Morning Reflection, Mono Lake

Poppy Pastel, Sierra Foothills, California

Heavenly Beam, Upper Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Fire on High, Kilauea and Milky Way, Hawaii

Summer Rainbow, Yosemite Valley

Autumn Reflection, El Capitan, Yosemite

Autumn Reflection, North Lake, Eastern Sierra

Sunstar, Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Winter Blue Hour Reflection, Half Dome, Yosemite

Big Moon, Valley View, Yosemite

El Capitan Reflection, Yosemite

Direct Hit, Half Dome Lightning Strike, Yosemite

Moon and Mist,Tunnel View, Yosemite

Neon Night, Aurora and Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Bridalveil Dogwood, Valley View, Yosemite

Cradled Crescent, Sierra Foothills

Winter Storm, El Capitan in the Snow, Yosemite

Three Strikes, Bright Angel Point, North Rim, Grand Canyon

Autumn Leaf, Bridalveil Creek, Yosemite

Starry Night, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Aurora Reflection, Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Spring Reflection, El Capitan and Three Brothers, Yosemite

Heavenly Veil, Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Sunrise Mirror, Mono Lake

Heaven Sent, Monsoon Rainbow, Vista Encantada, Grand Canyon North Rim

Autumn Snow, Valley View, Yosemite

Under the Rainbow, Colorado River, Grand Canyon

Touch the Sky, Roosevelt Point Rainbow, Grand Canyon

Captive Crescent, El Capitan and Half Dome Yosemite

Emergence, Half Dome from Olmsted Point, Yosemite

Color and Light, Grand Canyon Lightning, Bright Angel Point

Spring Moon Reflection, Half Dome, Yosemite

Dancing Poppy, Sierra Foothills, California

Golden Elegance, California Poppy, Sierra Foothills

Floating Leaves, Valley View, Yosemite

Milky Way Reflection, Colorado River, Grand Canyon

Magenta Moonrise, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite

Aurora Streaks, Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Double Rainbow, Tunnel View, Yosemite (2009)

Winter Night, Milky Way Above Tasman Lake, New Zealand

Sunset, McWay Fall, Big Sur, California

First Light, Yosemite Valley

Champagne Glass Poppies, Merced River Canyon, California

Alone Together, Oak and Crescent Moon, Sierra Foothills, California

Moonlight Reflection, El Capitan and the Three Brothers, Yosemite

Moonset, Mt. Whitney and the Alabama Hills, California

Nightfall, Full Moon and Yosemite Valley, Yosemite

Sunset Palette, Half Dome from Sentinel Dome, Yosemite

Winter Glow, El Capitan, Yosemite

Autumn Moon Reflection, Half Dome, Yosemite

Lightning Explosion, Oza Butte, Grand Canyon North Rim

First Snow, El Capitan, Yosemite

Winter Reflection, Cathedral Rocks and Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite

Gray Dawn, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand