Atwa

Atwa, often written as ATWA, is a term most widely recognized as an acronym for Air, Trees, Water, Animals. It originated in the late 1960s and is closely associated with the Manson Family, a communal group led by Charles Manson. Manson reportedly used ATWA as an environmentalist slogan that expressed reverence for nature and concern about industrial pollution. The phrase circulated among members and appeared in writings and interviews connected to the group, and it has since appeared in various aspects of popular culture as a symbol of the era's countercultural tensions with modern society.

In addition to its association with Manson, ATWA has appeared in discussions of environmentalism and new religious or spiritual movements as a shorthand for a holistic view of the natural world. However, the term is not part of formal environmental policy or widely accepted ecological jargon, and evidence for consistent usage outside the Manson milieu is limited. Some sources report alternative expansions, such as interpretations beyond the original words, but these are contested and less well documented.

Academic and journalistic treatments typically treat ATWA as a historical footnote within studies of 1960s counterculture, media sensationalism surrounding the Manson case, and the way environmental themes intersected with youth movements of the period. The term remains a reference point rather than an active contemporary slogan.