If you are like us, you love the outdoors. You enjoy adventure, exploration, and all that nature offers. And, like us, you may be looking for ways to help the environment in your community.
Now, more than ever, we must do our part to protect the environment and ensure future generations are able to continue having adventures and enjoying nature.
To help all of us get started, we’ve put together a list of 10 ways we can all help the environment right in our own communities.
Plant trees
Planting trees is a wonderful way to help the environment. Trees provide so many benefits for a community. They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. They provide food, shade, and recreation.
Trees can also help reduce soil erosion and manage stormwater.
One way to help the environment in your community? Plant a tree. Get a group together and who knows? You might end up planting a forest!
Reduce your carbon footprint
Another way, we can help improve the environment in our communities is by reducing our carbon footprint.
To reduce our collective impact on the world around us, we can try the following:
- Reduce food waste
- Use eco-friendly products
- Use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags
- Reduce energy consumption
- Use energy efficient appliances
Shop local
A great way to reduce your carbon footprint and help the environment is to shop locally. Instead of big-box stores that rely heavily on shipping to move your strawberries, try buying local.
Supporting local growers helps the local economy. And, like GoGreen.org says, “ Local food doesn’t create large carbon footprints through overseas plane travel or long truck trips. This cuts down on fuel consumption and air pollution.”
Reduce waste
One of the most important ways to help the environment in your community is to reduce your consumer waste. How?
- Use a reusable bag
- Use a reusable water bottle
- Compost food waste
Recycling initiatives
Closely related to reducing waste, recycling is a great way to help the environment in your community. Get some friends together and start a recycling program. Work with community leaders and waste management experts to encourage your neighborhood to reduce landfill waste.
Conserve water
Want to really get serious about the environment in your community? Start a water conservation project. If you live in a dry area, conserving water helps keep water available where and when it's needed most. As NOAA says, “The less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that eventually ends up in the ocean.”
Community Garden
Starting a community garden is an excellent way to improve the environment in your community. Community gardens turn empty plots into food-giving meccas. And, because the work (and the food) is shared by the neighborhood, community gardens can be great at bringing people together.
Community gardens provide access to healthy and organic foods. They also help the environment around the garden. The Environmental Magazine explains:
“Community gardens with colorful plants attract bees and butterflies. These little pollinators play a vital role in our food supply. As they feast on nectar from flowering plants, they transfer the pollen and seeds that allow plants to reproduce.”
All of this and more local food to use means that community gardens can reduce carbon emissions and save you money.
Natural restorations
Sometimes the best way to help the environment involves putting things back the way nature intended. Natural restorations can involve clean-up work, tree-planting days, graffiti removal, or other projects that target a particular area.
Our collaborative partners at Natural Restorations do excellent work in this area. You can learn more about them here.
Educate others
Everything is more fun with a friend, especially protecting the environment. Help educate others on how to help the environment in your community.
If people see how a little effort now can improve things for the future, it’s much easier for them to start making changes. Here are some education ideas:
- Take kids outside on hikes and adventures
- Lead a nature walk
- Visit a state or national park
- Invite a guest speaker
- Work with local organizations
- Talk to your library about a seed bank
Volunteer
Our last way to help the environment in our community is to get involved. Our TruFlask Adventure Club is an excellent way to volunteer and help teach others about the outdoors and all the environment has to offer. Learn more and start volunteering today!