#38. Earth Day 2025 - Our Power, Our Planet

EndPlasticSoup: Together for a Cleaner World

Recently, Rotary Weert shared this image back with me. It's now proudly featured on their new banner, a visual reminder of that meaningful day. The cleanup was part of the global EndPlasticSoup campaign by Rotary International, and brought together dozens of volunteers. Clad in bright yellow vests, we filled bags with litter: cigarette butts, cans, tires, and even abandoned furniture. You’d be amazed at what’s hiding in just a meter of roadside.

But what stayed with me wasn’t just the amount of waste - it was the energy. There was something hopeful in the air: a sense of shared purpose, lightness, even joy. Strangers worked side by side, chatted over coffee, and celebrated the small victories of a cleaner street corner. The sun shone. People smiled. It felt like a small festival of care.

A Personal Moment of Meaning

One detail made the day even more personal: the whole event was coordinated by my husband, who has quietly walked hundreds of kilometers over the past few years, collecting roadside litter as his own way of contributing. To see him organizing this initiative -  and to see that moment captured, then shared back -  means a lot. It’s a gentle reminder that we all have power. We just need to use it.

Earth Day 2025: The Power of Showing Up

This year’s Earth Day theme, Our Power, Our Planet, encourages us to stay engaged. We don’t need to be perfect - we need to care, and to keep showing up. Real change doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it’s a walk, a gesture, a helping hand.

Nature, Photography and Silence: My Visual Story

Nature teaches me again and again how much there is to see when we really look. Through my nature photography and visual storytelling, I try to capture that quiet power -  the kind that comforts, connects, and inspires without words. Moments like the one in this photo are exactly why I do what I do.

Want to Know More or Collaborate?

To Rotary Weert – thank you for sharing this photo, and for all the quiet, consistent work you do to keep this message alive. Your banner is more than just an image; it’s a symbol of what becomes possible when we care - together.
Let’s keep creating quiet change, hand in hand.