I had this dream last week – very detailed – about working on my website. I’ve been admittedly absent from it lately, save for the (occasionally late) Windows on Wildlife posts over the past few weeks. Our household is in transition as we move from a summer schedule to a fall schedule. Not only is my oldest now back to school but so is my husband, who was home for much of the summer while school was out. Just to add to the mix, we’ve adopted a beautiful German Shepherd, and his transition into our household has been… interesting.
My dream was timely; now that the dust has settled this is the perfect time for me to re-focus my energy on my website. There were two very specific aspects to my dream. One was the use of coyote imagery. I’ll probably explore that further in next week’s Windows on Wildlife post.
The other was the creation of a page on my site, downloadable as a .pdf, with a detailed list of things individuals can do – right now – to make a difference for conservation and preservation of the natural world. Here’s my top 4:
- Connect with organizations that are actively advocating for wildlife and the environment. Why? Together our voices are stronger. In our current climate of big-money divisive politics, it’s critical for people to step up and tell politicians that our natural world matters to us, and that it affects our vote. The Center for Biodiversity and the National Wildlife Federation both offer ways for individuals to stay updated on conservation issues, and to connect with politicians about issues that concern wildlife and the environment. Joining their e-networks is free and easy.
- Plant native trees, shrubs and wildflowers in and around your yard and garden. Why? Native species are usually hardier – requiring less watering and maintenance than non-native species, and offer food and shelter for wildlife. Non-native plant species often aren’t compatible with native wildlife species. Creating a yard and garden that is wildlife friendly gives our furred and feathered neighbors safe and natural spaces to live, as pressures on natural spaces continue to increase due to development. And it will make your yard and garden an even more beautiful place to be.
- Help connect children to the outdoors. Why? The more children learn to love and value the natural world, the more likely they will be to help protect and preserve it as adults. And the immediate benefits of being outdoors (for everyone!) are numerous: decreased stress levels, increased immune systems, and calorie-burning outdoor activities do us all a world of good!
- Reduce your carbon-footprint. I won’t bother with the why on this one, you probably can answer that for yourself. The how’s are worth exploring though: obtain as much of your food from local sources as you can (even better – grow your own!); refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle (or compost); green your home (and body); find alternatives to driving… the list goes on.
I just realized I never finished this post last week. Thanks for the resources. I’m all about native plants in the garden. So much easier to maintain!
Absolutely!