It is Finley’s birthday, and it’s a tough time for the planet.

But when we face great challenges, that is the time we need a little Finley the most. Her light heart, her knowing wisdom—not blind to the seriousness of our circumstances, but not letting them get us down or keep us from action.

So to celebrate Finley’s birthday this year we’re going to add a little something to our tradition of sharing Birthday to Earth Day “daily motivations” for how you can lighten your footprint on the planet. Along the way we are going to share some personal stories and photos of Finley to help us smile. We have also reached out to some of Finley’s friends and family around the planet and will be sharing some global perspective—inspiring us with new ideas, reminding us how one person can make a difference, and showing us we are not in this alone.

So, when we reach Earth Day itself (April 22nd) and we announce our third annual round of grants from Finley’s Green Leap Forward Fund, I hope we will all be buoyed by her spirit and ready to tackle the year for the planet.