Earth Day 2025
Honouring Earth, together
2025’s Earth Day theme is “Our Power, Our Planet”, celebrating the power of people coming together to protect all the wild places we love. To mark the occasion we’ve connected with our community of Zorali Trailblazers, asking them to share the special places they seek restoration in nature. And their efforts to give back to the planet that nourishes, sustains and replenishes us all.
Elliot & Karly
📍North Cascades National Park in America
This photo was taken while hiking through the breathtaking trails of North Cascades National Park in the U.S. — from the rugged beauty of Winchester Lookout to the sweeping vistas of the Maple Pass hike. For us, connecting to nature means pressing pause on the hustle of everyday life to realign with the quiet, grounding rhythms of the natural world.
How we like to give back: Whenever we’re out on the trail or setting up camp, we always make an effort to leave the place better than we found it — following the simple but powerful principle of leave no trace.
Sam Newton
📍 Laraptina Falls
This is at Larapinta Falls just after 300ml of rain had dropped in the area. While the falls themselves aren’t necessarily special to me, the sheer power that comes off this waterfall is—and it’s a feeling I find myself chasing monthly. It’s like a reset button; getting out there or standing beneath a massive waterfall instantly grounds me and brings me back to the present.
How I like to give back: I love sourcing fresh, local food—either from markets or straight from the farm—and don’t mind some old-school, second-hand gear from the op shops either. I’ll always find a way to put it to use.
Jarred Palanca
📍 Snowy River (Victoria section)
This photo was captured on a 14-day rafting expedition down the Snowy River, from the NSW border to the ocean at Marlo, VIC—a journey that holds a special place in my heart, as it’s where my love for the outdoors first sparked as a teenager. Connecting to nature for me means moving through landscapes in different ways—paddling, walking, riding, skiing—and taking time to slow down, be present, and notice the small, beautiful details around me.
How I like to give back: I’m passionate about practicing minimal impact, whether it’s cleaning up campsites, picking up extra rubbish, or burying waste properly (please, no toilet paper trails!). There’s nothing better than arriving at a remote riverside camp, playing off-tune ukulele with friends, and soaking in the powerful rapids and serene pools of this wild, incredible river.
Caz Whitehead
📍 Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, Tasmania
There’s something about the hush of snowfall deep in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park that makes me feel completely grounded, like the Earth is gently exhaling. This remote trail, surrounded by ancient Athrotaxis forest and rugged peaks, is where I feel most alive and most at peace, especially when I share the snowy trail with creatures like the endangered spotted tail quoll. Connecting with nature, for me, means slowing down, tuning in, and remembering that I’m part of something far bigger and better than just myself.
How I like to give back: I try to tread lightly on the planet by eating plant based foods, shopping for secondhand gear, and choosing carbon neutral travel where possible.
Gabriella Jones
📍Magical Mangawhai
Magical Mangawhai is a place that has hosted endless highs that only fresh air, sun, and belly laughs can offer. For me, connecting to nature means finding somewhere that holds you exactly where you are—often out of sight (and earshot) of civilisation, and close to a body of water. It’s energising, peaceful, and grounding.
How I like to give back: The Earth takes care of us so well; something I do to return the favour is follow what is possibly the best and simplest principle of the outdoors: leave no trace!
Steph Skinner
📍Grey Mare mountain, Jagungal
Jagungal Wilderness has been a special place to me from the very beginning; it was where I did my first ever bikepacking trip, and I fell in love with the place. This particular photo was taken after spending the previous day pushing bikes uphill well into the night and setting up camp in the dark, only to wake up and realise we had the most incredible view of the Kosciuszko main range behind us.For me, connecting with nature means letting go of any of the thoughts from day to day life and just experiencing the outdoors with all of your senses. The sound of birds, smell of gum leaves, the big views, and the burn of your legs! It’s also noticing small things that generate wonder, like finding a cool caterpillar or spotting some cool lichen on a tree.
How I like to give back: I donate monthly to Bush Heritage Australia, a not-for-profit organisation who do some incredible work to preserve our unique Australian environments by purchasing land to manage as wildlife reserves, working collaboratively with First Nations people and the agriculture sector to do so. It’s a mission I think is so worthy of support so a few dollars a month is totally worth it!
Daygin Prescott
📍Blue Mountains
These mountains and valleys are so special to everyone that spends time in them. The more time I spend out here the more it feels like home, the orange sandstone walls and deep canyons have an allure that keeps you itching to be out there. Connecting to nature starts with awareness and being present - listening to the sounds and noticing all the details around you. Touching leaves, swimming in the rivers, watching the birds and being curious about the landscape around you.
How I like to give back: I believe the mountains have karma and we will all be rewarded for looking after them. I always feel guilty walking past any rubbish on the trail - so pick it up, stash it in your bag and be sure it makes it into the bin!
