Earth Day, celebrated internationally every April 22, is not only a day to celebrate the Earth and its wonders, but also a day meant to bring awareness to the work that environmental researchers, journalists, activists, and everyday folks do to protect our planet and ensure future generations will be able to experience the beauties of our natural world. We have curated a list of compelling nonfiction written by such people—journalists, activists, environmentalists, and scientists—from across the world that share their research and observations on the world around them and provide inspiration and hope for how we can come together and work towards a more sustainable future for all.
The End of Eden: Wild Nature in the Age of Climate Breakdown by Adam Welz
"A revelatory exploration of climate change from the perspective of wild species and natural ecosystems—an homage to the miraculous, vibrant entity that is life on Earth."
We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo
"From a fearless, internationally acclaimed activist, We Will Be Jaguars is an impassioned memoir about an indigenous childhood, a clash of cultures, and the fight to save the Amazon rainforest and protect her people."
Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of our Planet by Ben Goldfarb
"Written with passion and curiosity, Crossings is a sweeping, spirited, and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world—and how we can create a better future for all living beings."
The Life and Death of a Minke Whale in the Amazon by Fábio Zuker (translated from the Portuguese by Ezra E. Fitz)
"Zuker combines hard-hitting reportage with stories that veer from hopeful to elegiac, and his takes on his subjects’ relationship with the rainforest are spot-on and direct, as when he notes that the Amazon as a region “is so much discussed and yet so poorly understood.” This one deserves wide readership." -Publishers Weekly
The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas
"A rare and intimate look not only at the nature of hope but also into the heart and mind of a woman who revolutionized how we view the world around us and has spent a lifetime fighting for our future. There is still hope, and this book will help guide us to it."
Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists by Leah Penniman
"This thought-provoking anthology brings together today’s most respected and influential Black environmentalist voices—leaders who have cultivated the skill of listening to the Earth—to share the lessons they have learned."
The Blue Machine: How Oceans Work by Helen Czerski
"Czerski reveals that while the ocean engine has sustained us for thousands of years, today it is faced with urgent threats. By understanding how the ocean works, and its essential role in our global system, we can learn how to protect our blue machine."
On Time and Water by Andri Snær Magnason (translated from the Icelandic by Lytton Smith)
"Moving from reflections on how one writes an obituary for an iceberg to exhortation for a heightened understanding of human time and our obligations to one another, throughout history and across the globe, On Time and Water is both deeply personal and globally-minded: a travel story, a world history, and a desperate plea to live in harmony with future generations."
All summaries are provided by the publisher unless otherwise noted.