Every April, I spend as much of the month as possible wandering around New York City taking photos. Spring flowers are planted all over the city and flowering trees bloom in parks and on street corners. I adore the contrast of the hard concrete jungle with the delicate beauty of blossoms. Daffodils, tulips, magnolias, cherry blossoms – spring in the city is simply one of my favorite things!

Spring 2020 we’re in the middle of a global pandemic. There’s no wandering city streets to stop and snap the roses.

The best I can hope for is a bike ride or walk around my neighborhood in Sunnyside, Queens. As luck would have it, Sunnyside does not disappoint when it comes to flowers. A micro-neighborhood five blocks from my apartment is literally called Sunnyside Gardens.

One evening after work earlier this month, I went for a neighborhood bike ride and photographed every single magnolia tree I came across. In this strange new world of social isolation and over-loaded screen time, I gotta tell you, this was a pretty great past time. I recommend it.

Happy Earth Day from me and my gorgeous pink and white neighbors.

A celebration of the beauty of the earth, hooray! But not exactly helpful. What can we do to help save our planet? Start with small, manageable changes.

Though they look like it, these aren’t fallen magnolia petals. They’re pink disposable gloves. I see gloves littered all over the streets this spring. Let’s try dispose of our waste and use reusable options if possible, NYC! A great way to celebrate in a small way that adds up is to taking the official Earth Day Daily Challenge. This year I started composting and cutting out all red meat. Both were a little intimidating changes at first, now I don’t even think about them!

Lastly, a simple yet probably the MOST important thing all us Americans can do? VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION, big or small! Not registered? DO IT!!!