What have you done for the Environment Today?

[TeeDee]

Mostly a muse - but maybe this could ( should ) become a running thread?

I saw this long running thread :- https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/what-did-you-buy-today.70299/

And I just thought , well, that's very commercial isn't it? I mean , its in essence about being a Consumer.

Now I'm not on a massive rant about people buying stuff ( been more than guilty of that myself ) but as I get older I now ask myself ( and this may sound kooky ) about what sort of relationship I want with the item I'm buying??? Does it have too much packaging ? if I buy it I am now RESPONSIBLE for the actual recycling and disposal of that - etc.

So as we are all Bushcrafter's I'd like to pose a new question - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TODAY??

Could be as simple as picking up litter or rubbish on a local walk , but hopefully is could be something more interesting as planting trees , organising a community rubbish collection , cutting back invasive non-native species etc.

 

[Woody girl]

Well today I picked up a couple of discarded cans... then thought.. ah heck! They could be covered in lurgy!
Disposed of in bin, and luckily always carry hand gel if out, so gelled my hands like mad.
It's something I do all the time usualy taking them home to recycle . Not today though.

 

[TeeDee]

Well today I picked up a couple of discarded cans... then thought.. ah heck! They could be covered in lurgy!
Disposed of in bin, and luckily always carry hand gel if out, so gelled my hands like mad.
It's something I do all the time usualy taking them home to recycle . Not today though.

Good. General act of Kindness to nature. Kudos !

 

[Robson Valley]

Not today but coming up on the calendar this week = prune the grape vines.
Usually 100 - 200m of vine has to come off. Yes, end to end, that much.

I could throw it around and have the prunings mulched later on with the mower. NOT.

Instead, I'll pick out the best of the best, possibly 100 pieces of vine with 3 buds each.
Those go into water buckets for a couple of weeks.
Then I'll fill 100 x 750 ml pots and start those vine pieces as cuttings.
I get maybe 95% success.

Next, I'll sell them all later on @ 2 for $5.00. Beer money.
I want every house in this entire valley to have a couple of grape vines.
Grapes for wine, jam, juice and jelly. Leaves for dolmades. Summer storm shelter for small birds.
Perchings for fledgling birds.

 

[Robson Valley]

Sorry. My picture editing and filing skills are woefully lacking.
These are the two vines on the west side of my house.
All the values that I have mentioned plus afternoon shade, the vines are 24" out from the house.
2013, I got 65 lbs per vine grapes.



This is Beck on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Friend for nearly 60 years.
He took off the kitchen screen window and got up to snip off ripe grapes for lunch

 

[woodsorrel]

I carry a bottle bag that I made. I use it to remove trash from the trail. Many of the trackers I studied with make an offering of ceremonial tobacco or kinnikinnick to show their gratitude to nature. I decided to show my gratitude by removing "plastic offerings" others have left in the woods.

Today, I shooed a baby gopher snake off the trail before it was run over by a mountain bike. I'm very pleased about that.

- Woodsorrel

 

[TeeDee]

I carry a bottle bag that I made. I use it to remove trash from the trail. Many of the trackers I studied with make an offering of ceremonial tobacco or or kinnikinnick to show their gratitude to nature. I decided to show my gratitude by removing "plastic offerings" others have left in the woods.

Today, I shooed a baby gopher snake off the trail before it was run over by a mountain bike. I'm very pleased about that.

- Woodsorrel

Well done !! Act of kindness with no anticipated or immediate reward for yourself.

 

[Trojan]

Before lockdown I walked to work. So every day I would always pick up a bit of rubbish. Since lockdown I have been even more fanatical about recycling. I am not sure if this is normal

 

[Allison McKenzie]

I timed my cooking and washing to when the sun was out to minimise electricity (or maximise solar offsetting)

 

[Woody girl]

Nothing today sadly apart from put the recycling out for collection tomorrow morning.

 

[TeeDee]

I'm walking with an empty Bergen and gloves as standard now - rubbish pick up where I can.

Spread some wild flower seeds in an area that I thought would benefit from them.

 

[Broch]

I'm walking with an empty Bergen and gloves as standard now - rubbish pick up where I can.

Spread some wild flower seeds in an area that I thought would benefit from them.

Argh! make sure the wildflowers you are spreading are UK natives - so many mixed packs contain non-natives. You have to check the list of plants on the packet against the native plant list; even then I'm not sure I trust the suppliers for accurate identification. Sorry to be a kill-joy but I'm quite particular about non-introductions into the wild.

 

[TeeDee]

Argh! make sure the wildflowers you are spreading are UK natives - so many mixed packs contain non-natives. You have to check the list of plants on the packet against the native plant list; even then I'm not sure I trust the suppliers for accurate identification. Sorry to be a kill-joy but I'm quite particular about non-introductions into the wild.

Chill Broc , Yes mate - only native species.

 

[TeeDee]

Built a Hedgehog House.

 

[Tengu]

Helping Dad by taking the recycling to the bank behind the supermarket. (The main place is shut at the moment)

But, its his job to bag it for me; and there seems to be a lot uncaptured still drifting around the kitchen...

(Burnables end up as barbercue fuel...)

However, as he has commented, a lot of the things ilike eating come with packaging. I have never really thought much about this; I normaly consume and then recycle the packaging without fuss.

The Organic farm is an option; but that will cost twice as much for the same product (without the protective packing...)

 

[Broch]

Ah, the ultimate test of a person's commitment to the environment: price

 

[TeeDee]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=715726815848624

 

[Tengu]

I wrote a blog page for the Museum of Design in Plastic about what I found on the beach. However they are keeping it for their beach themed exhibition.

I saw a lot of pellets (Worrying as this is part of the plastics industry.) But I think most of the rubbish came from far away...and a lot seems to be decades old.

it doesnt reflect current environmental practice in the British plastics industry.

However it does hang around...and there is seemingly little that can be done about it.

(If someone wants vast quantities of random plastic scraps then I know where they can have some for free).

 

[John Fenna]

Our Village Reading Room (similar to a Village Hall but set up for the peasants to get self educated and still with books to read or buy) has an agreement with the Council.
Committee members can get special refuse bags that are not counted in our rationed domestic rubbish bags and members pick up roadside rubbish on their daily walks...
On my walk today I found no rubbish (1 mile circuit of the village) but took time to appreciate the environment I live and play in...

Not great shots of the Woodpecker - but my point and shoot camera was at max range.
I then had to go and do the weekly shop and totally lost the calm vibe the walk had given me!

 

[Woody girl]

Nothing to stop you going out again now..... oh sorry your in Wales. I'd sneak in another walk anyway.