Every day is a good day to celebrate the natural resources available to us here on planet earth. But this Saturday, June 5th, is World Environment Day, and there's even more cause for celebration. The holiday, established in 1972 by the United Nations at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, celebrated the first official World Environment Day two years later, in 1974, with the theme “Only One Earth.”

Medcom Benefit Solutions strives to be considerate of what we can do for the planet. As an employee benefits company, it seems as though we are far removed from the topic of sustainability, but every company should be doing its part for the planet. This year Medcom is working towards tracking and reducing our carbon footprint and raising company-wide awareness of what we can do as individuals and as a company to make the planet a healthier place.

June 5th is not only World Environment Day, it’s also the official launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, “a global push to revive natural spaces lost to development.” The movement intends to restore certain natural spaces in the next ten years. The UN also has ten actions to help achieve #GenerationRestoration. You can find the list on their website, along with more information about the movement.

The United Nations Environment Programme is also hosting “A Virtual celebration for Restoration and Recovery.” to observe the holiday! The event takes place on June 4th at 3 P.M. EST and will be attended by musicians, poets, thought leaders, politicians, and youth activists. Some notable names for the event are Dave Matthews, Jack Johnson, Bill McKibben, and many more!

There are a few other holidays this month that go hand-in-hand with World Environment Day. June 1st was World Reef Awareness Day. Did you know that corals are animals, and massive coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef are believed to be between 5,000 and 10,000 years old? Unfortunately, coral reefs are rapidly dying in many parts of the world, and 30% of them are expected to be destroyed or seriously degraded within ten years.

June 8th is World Oceans Day! The ocean covers over 70% of the earth and produces at least 50% of the planet’s oxygen! Learn more fun, interesting, rare facts about the ocean from Trafalgar.

Celebrate the environment today and every day because you can do so many things for the planet, no matter how small. When it comes to saving the planet, it’s important to keep yourself and the people in your life accountable. Happy World Environment Day!