Other Activities
Our environment is our home - we all rely on the services it provides to give us clean air, fresh water, food and material resources. Just imagine if we had to use man-made means to provide these services and the costs involved (for example, the cost of desalinating water). We are only just beginning to realise the immense value that nature provides every day for free.
Our environment needs everybody to help look after it. Planet Ark aims to show people how easy it can be. Here are some of the ways you can help:
By Recycling you can help to reduce the strain on our natural resources and the energy required to harvest them. To find out how and what to recycle in your local area visit the Recycling Near You web site or call the National Recycling Hotline on 1300 733 712.
By Consuming Responsibly you can make a huge difference to the environment. We all consume resources to keep us clothed, fed, housed, mobile and entertained. By choosing products and services that minimise the impact on the environment throughout their lifecycle (from "cradle to grave" including how they are made, used and recycled or disposed of) consumers can have an enormous influence on our planet's future. For more details of products that don't cost the earth visit our Planet Ark Products and Solutions web site.
By Taking Care of our Natural Environment you can do your bit towards creating a healthier future for all. Through engaging in activities such as National Tree Day, you can help to create wildlife friendly spaces in your garden, school grounds and local neighbourhood.
These actions can have positive effects far beyond your local neighbourhood. For example, revegetation of a stream bank not only promotes a healthy aquatic community, it also improves the local water quality for those downstream and can link existing stands of native vegetation providing corridors for native animals to move through safely. See how your efforts link into a bigger picture by looking at examples such as The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (QLD, NSW, VIC), The Urban Forests Program (SA) and Gondwanalink (WA). You can also help to educate your local community about the importance and value of these spaces.
National Tree Day about more than just planting trees. It's about fostering a sense of custodianship and an appreciation for Australia's unique and diverse environment. It's important to take responsibility for the long-term care of any plantings you make and to look after any existing bushland remnants that provide vital habitat and act as a bank of local native seeds.
In addition to planting, you can use Tree Day dates to carry out many other activities such as:
- maintenance (eg weeding) of sites that have been previously planted
- bush regeneration or restoration
- educational talks & bushwalks
- native seed collection (download guidelines and visit the florabank web site)
- habitat management projects
- monitoring sites planted in previous years
Monitoring your planting site is an important activity, as it can measure the environmental health of an area, helping to identify areas in decline and in need of assistance and demonstrating improvements made through conservation efforts.
If you are unable to participate in traditional tree-planting or find that tree-planting would be unsuitable for your local area then get creative with alternative Tree Day activities. For example, some schools in areas affected by drought initiated an "Adopt a Tree" program whereby, instead of planting, classes adopted a native tree planted in a previous year to nurture through the drought with a little extra watering.
One group of 40 friends even took a 4km trek through Groom River Valley to hug a Blue Tier Giant - Tasmania's ‘fattest' tree, on National Tree Day.
Beyond Tree Day: Much work in conserving our natural environment is done by enthusiastic, passionate volunteers. Why not find or start a group in your local area?
Use the links below to find out more.
