Rural Reporter’s Notebook: April 23, 2025

More than 55 years after the first U.S. Earth Day was celebrated in small towns and cities by people of all political stripes, the term “environmentalism” conjures different connotations today. Media coverage might have something to do with it. Daily Yonder reporters Claire Carlson and Julia Tilton are joined by Meg Haywood Sullivan and Amelia Joy of Nature Is Nonpartisan, a new organization working to reframe the narrative about protecting the planet.Meg and Amelia, who come from opposite ends of the political spectrum, discuss the exclusion of rural environmentalists from the media, the climate culture wars, and the irony of being disconnected from community in the age of social media.To learn more about Nature Is Nonpartisan, visit natureisnonpartisan.orgThis story is part of The 89 Percent Project, an initiative of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now. Learn more about the initiative at 89percent.orgPhoto: Claire Carlson/Daily Yonder.