This year I am celebrating World Environment Day, a day of care towards the planet and respect of natural resources and public spaces on earth in the city of Dakar, Senegal, a city of sports, ocean and nature. 
Coat of arms of Dakar, Senegal
World Environment Day (WED) is observed every year on June 5 to raise global awareness and to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth. It is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and it is important for encouraging worldwide awareness and proactive actions for the protection of the environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries.
Care for the planet, as Pope Francis addressed members of the Jain community in Rome on June 1st 2016, is to Care for creation, and calling creation a “gift that we all received”: “Creation is God’s mirror, the mirror of the Creator, the mirror of Nature and it is Our mirror too”.
Caring is Loving. And Loving is Caring. “We all love mother Earth, because she is the one who has given us life and safeguards us; I would also call her sister Earth, who accompanies us during the journey of our existence. Our duty is to take care of her just as we would take care of a mother or of a sister, with responsibility, with tenderness and with peace”. Pope Francis added.
On the urban and rural areas, in our realities, we are living in houses, villages and cities that we should take care of. A special link to me is the health benefits correlated with living in environments that offer green spaces and areas for adults and kids.
According to a Urban Greening Research from the University of Washington, the quality outdoor environments affect activity attitudes and behaviors. Urban greening contributes to more walkable places, trees and other greening elements can encourage physical activity. The binomial green spaces and physical activity is a perfect combination of a healthy and happy lifestyle, more prone to others, to caring, to loving and to contributing to a more livable existence. Small steps to exercise, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking 5 days a week for instance, reduces health risks.
The city of Dakar offers some green areas in downtown (the main plaza Place de l’Indépendance, the beautiful park of the Town Hall-called in French Hotel de Ville) , the forest and zoo in the neighbourhood of Hann, Parc de Hann and some other spots soon to be discovered; most of all, Dakar is a city by the ocean, and this makes it really enjoyable for the Senegalese population, fond of outdoor sports and run, as well as for tourists and expats, to breath clean air by the sea. For this, outdoor gyms are placed in the seashore of la Corniche- literally, at the ridge of the seashore- for people to work out and play outdoors (more, Football is the national sports and many young Senegalese spend hours on the beach to play).
Park inside the Town Hall in Dakar, Senegal
To perform physical and recreational activities outdoors, both for professionals, amateurs and for children to play in playgrounds and be in touch with nature, an efficient system of urban recycling, waste and water management, as well as a civic environmental education and conscience and the community responsibility to take care of its surroundings ( for instance, throw trash in the bins and place trash in public areas if they are not, plant trees) are good practices to establish a common sense of belonging, caring and loving the planet we are living in. Starting from the streets, the neighborhoods and the community we live in.
A good practice of setting up trash bins in public areas, park of the Town Hall in Dakar
In this sense, Culture is a great tool able to present, explain, promote and show the importance of having public spaces of reference to meet other people, exchange ideas and opinions and get inspired by nature and by cultural and artistic works surrounding the city. Creation and Protection of cultural heritage is thus a key component of harmoniously live on Earth, Take Care of and Appreciate the beauty of the World. UNESCO, the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the United Nations is performing a wonderful job with its World Heritage Program, devoted to preserve the past and work on the present to pass on the legacy of heritage to future generations. As UNESCO states “cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration”.
So Nature, Humans, Culture and Living and Moving in society (through Sports for instance) are all interconnected. Interconnected through the red thread of Love towards the people and the places that we are surrounded by. I agree with what Theodore Roosevelt once said about the United States of America:“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.”
I would add to his words not to waste time and to take action. Let make days count, and let make the words of Theodore Roosevelt in practice, extending it to the world, each and every corner of our universe. Let’s Love the Universe. and Let’s plant flowers when building our home.
Happy World Environment Day to everyone!!
The Lighthouse 