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________ Inspires Me to Care About Our Planet.

A Window on the World

This week more than 2,500 National Geographic fans have shared what inspires them to care about the planet, through a post Tuesday morning on our official Facebook page.

More than 1000 of their responses are represented in the word cloud above. The size of each word reflects the amount of times it has appeared in people’s comments. Mouse over individual words for a closer look.

 

The Big Ideas

Several words jump right out as those used more than any others: “children” is one, “nature” is another, and close on their heels is simply “beauty.”

National Geographic Explorers and photographers feel much the same, and these values are expressed in their work. 2011 Emerging Explorer Juan Martinez works for the Children and Nature Network, helping promote healthier lifestyles by getting kids outside playing, exploring, and simply experiencing the great outdoors. And every year, National Geographic teams up with the U.S. National Park Service to host a BioBlitz, getting kids and others out in the wild to catalog the species in their area.  This year’s event is October 21-22 in Saguaro National Park in Arizona.

Meanwhile, Dino Martins is out every day revealing the incredible nature of the tiniest and most common creatures (see video), and Annie Griffiths not only captures beautiful photographs herself, but pulls together the best of others, giving you an opportunity to learn the secrets of taking the best photos yourself.

 

What’s Next?

You too can join these conversations and help shape the discussions of the future. In the comments below or on Facebook, add your suggestion for the next blank you’d like to see filled by your fellow National Geographic fans around the world. The possibilities are ________________.

Changing Planet

Andrew Howley is a longtime contributor to the National Geographic blog, with a particular focus on archaeology and paleoanthropology generally, and ancient rock art in particular. In 2018 he became Communications Director at Adventure Scientists, founded by Nat Geo Explorer Gregg Treinish. Over 11 years at the National Geographic Society, Andrew worked in various ways to share the stories of NG explorers and grantees online. He also produced the Home Page of nationalgeographic.com for several years, and helped manage the Society's Facebook page during its breakout year of 2010. He studied Anthropology with a focus on Archaeology from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. He has covered expeditions with NG Explorers-in-Residence Mike Fay, Enric Sala, and Lee Berger. His personal interests include painting, running, and reading about history. You can follow him on Twitter @anderhowl and on Instagram @andrewjhowley.