Happy Earth Day 2019!

This year's annual Earth Day Doodle takes us around the planet we call home to discover some of the awe-inspiring organisms which inhabit it. Specifically, the interactive slideshow Doodle explores six organisms across elevations—along with their earthly superlative!

Get a sneak peek of our featured creatures below:

Wandering Albatross

The widest wingspan of any living bird

Coastal Redwood

The tallest tree in the world

Paedophryne Amauensis

Holds the world record for smallest frog, and smallest vertebrate

Amazon Water Lily

Among the world’s largest aquatic plants

Coelacanth

At 407-million-years old, it’s one of the world’s oldest living species

Deep Cave Springtail

Among the deepest-dwelling terrestrial creatures

Today’s Doodle was created by Doodler Kevin Laughlin. Below, he shares some thoughts on Earth Day and the inspiration for his Doodle:

Q: What does Earth Day mean to you personally?

A: It's very easy for us humans to think of ourselves as something apart or separate from nature. If you pick just one day a year to remember that we're all of this earth as much as a worm, mountain, or tree, Earth Day can be that day.

Q: How did you choose which species to feature?

A: This was the most difficult part of the process! The last thing I wanted to do was feature animals based on their cuteness or how they might appeal in some way to my mammalian sensibilities. We tried to focus on having a good range of organisms from around the globe that all had an extra special unique quality or earthly superlative. (Tallest, smallest, oldest, etc.)

Q: Did you learn any cool random facts while working on this Doodle?

A: Apparently scientists were able to coax deep cave springtails with a bit of cheese. So we're not so different from these little hexapods, after all!

Q: What do you hope people will take away from this interactive Doodle?

A: If I can inspire the smallest bit of curiosity or wonder in someone, that would make me very happy. How often does one take a moment to contemplate a tiny critter that lives in the bowels of a cave in Georgia? All life is incredible and worth celebrating.

EARTH DAY 2019 DOODLE TEAM

Lead Artist | Kevin Laughlin

Designer | Diana Tran

Engineering | Daniel Dovali Delgado, Jordan Thompson

Producer | Colin Duffy

Marketing & Partnerships Lead | Perla Campos

Art Support | Nate Swinehart

Doodle Team Leads | Jessica Yu, Brian Kaas

Special thanks to:

All the creative writers from the Google Assistant Personality Team