Earth Day—the giant environmental teach-in that became a four-decades-strong spark for eco-activism around the world—is spinning, like Earth, back around.

In the past at The Bark, we’ve focused on promoting green living choices to reduce our environmental footprints and paw prints—and these are still major priorities. But this year, we’re marking Earth Day by emphasizing something a little more fundamental: nature.

Last summer, editor-in-chief Claudia Kawczynska reported on Richard Louv’s ground-breaking work on nature-deficit disorder. Simply, that in this digital age, we are getting out in nature less frequently with negative physical and mental health consequences, including everything from obesity and anxiety to depression.

But those of us with dogs in our lives have a distinct advantage. Our pups need to get out—and the greener, the leafier, the wilder the setting the better. So on this Earth Day, we’re celebrating and appreciating their contribution to our lives. With their wagging tails and eager grins, our dogs insist we get our daily dose of "vitamin N."

How does you dog help you get closer to nature?