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Be a Naturalist at Home!
To all you Naturalists who swore to protect the environment here are some small things that you can do to keep your promise! (That goes especially for any Keji Wizards out there - you know who you are.)
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1. Write on both sides of every piece of paper to save trees. Ask your teachers to photocopy on both sides too.
2. Use rags instead of paper towels. Rags can be washed and reused.
3. Give gifts in decorative bags instead of wrapping paper. The recipient can use the bag over again.
4. Turn the tap off while you're brushing your teeth - only turn it on to get the brush wet and to rinse it off after.
5. Roll down the windows in your car instead of turning on the air conditioner.
6. Ride your bike more often. It's not only good exercise, it uses up much less energy than driving.
7. Ask neighbours and friends to carpool.
8. Bring reusable bags to the supermarket to carry groceries home in.
9. Get rechargable batteries - not only will it waste less chemicals, it's cheaper in the long run. Plus, you can take lots more pictures while camping.
10. Put batteries in a special pail set aside for toxic waste. Find out where your local toxic waste dump is - don't throw batteries away with other garbage. Leftover paint is toxic waste too.
11. Make a compost pit in your yard. Throw kitchen scraps such as vegetable peels and eggshells into it and use the compost to fertilize your garden next spring. Look up what other household garbage can be composted, such as sawdust, dryer lint, and weeds.
12. Build a bird house out of recycled materials to provide a home for birds whose trees have been cut down.
13. Instead of using pesticides to kill bugs in your garden, use birds to eat the insects. Attract birds by planting flowers and bushes that they like for food or nesting sites.
14. Eat oranges in the summer. The orange smell keeps bugs away from you, and it's better for you and the environment than store-bought sprays.
15. Shop at yard sales and second hand stores. You'll not only find cool stuff, but you'll reduce the amount of items that need to be manufactured.
16. Donate used clothes to charity instead of throwing them in the garbage.
17. Organize your friends and neighbours to pick up litter in a city park or playground. Remember to wear gloves to protect your hands. Celebrate afterwards by eating ice cream.
18. Make sack lunches garbage free by using a cloth carrying bag, tupperware containers, and a thermos bottle.
19. Join (or start!) an environmental club at your school. Pick up litter, raise money to plant trees, and teach younger students what can be recycled.
20. Remember that education is key. When you do something over and over it becomes a habit - so once you get used to throwing apple cores into the compost instead of the garbage you can do it without even thinking about it. Kindly remind others to be environmentally friendly too.
Time to Set Some Goals...
Write down THREE things that you want to start doing right away to help the environment and post it on your fridge or on the wall in your room.
Once you've reached those goals, set new ones (and remember to use both sides of the paper)!
See how much of a change you can make in the world.
Bibliography:
Lamb, M., (1990) "2 Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet," Harper Collins Publishers Ltd., Toronto, ON
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