The Ludlow Fairtrade Town flower bed had a tidy up this morning! Nearly 200 bulbs were planted under the grasses - golden crocuses under the Evergold Grass and Scilla Siberica (blue bulbs) under the Festuca Glauca (blue grass).
I've just had a pretty harrowing bedtime with our 11 year old after watching this week's Seven Words, One Planet this evening.
I think it's one of the first times it's really hit home for him, seeing these very visible impacts of humans actions on the planet, and on the wildlife that shares it with us.
I held him as he cried, and then we talked about some of the things that he, and we, could do to help.
In case you're in the same boat here's what we came up with:
1. 🖍Draw posters and share - ask school if he can put one up, and he's asked me if I can share on social media for him
2. 📝Write to politicians, and send them a copy of his poster
3. Fundraise for charities like World Wildlife Fund
- table top sale 🏺
- sponsored walk/bike🚲
- selling unwanted toys at car boot/on eBay 🧸
- sponsored litter pick 🗑
4. ❓Ask school if they would consider holding an after school 'climate club' one term
5. 🤜 Join in with the next student climate strike, and write a letter to his headmistress explaining why he feels it's so important
6. 🏫 Speak to school about becoming an Eco-Schools
7. 🧹Do a litter pick or @2minutebeachclean
8. 🥤Do our best to remember our reusable plastic items and avoid single use plastic wherever we can
9. 🐒 Read labels and make informed decisions around palm oil (I'm going to introduce him to the Giki app and let him loose scanning the foodstuffs in our kitchen!)
10. 📢 Talk to his friends about how he's feeling and some of the easy changes we're making as a family - this is tricky for us as adults, and there's a conversation we need to have around judgement, and not 'telling people off' there first though!
If we as grown ups feel overwhelmed and disempowered, and aren't really sure what to do for the best, it has to be 100 times worst for our kids - how little control over things do our kids usually have? Alongside the dawning realisation that this is something that is going to impact them, far more than it will us.
It's terrifying for them (and for us) but what we need to do is keep talking to them. To let them know it's ok to feel sad, and angry, and scared. That they aren't on their own, and that there are millions of people all around the world working hard to create positive change. That there ARE things that they can do, and they DO make a difference.
Let's empower and support our children and young people 💚
Please do share this and add your ideas for actions that kids can take in the face of the climate crisis - let's brainstorm a brilliant list!
Would you like to win a year's WWOOF UK membership?
#wwoofukMembership Offer: We're giving away a free WWOOF UK membership for the photo we feel best conveys our connection with nature and the magic of the growing season - in particular - the harvest.
To win just upload your fave photo in the comments below and share this post, tagging @wwoofuk
Closing date for entries: October 31st 2019.
#wwoofuk #photography #contest #wwoofukharvest2019
