Podcast on nature, conservation, and sustainability available now
While I’ve been quiet on Stepping Outside for the past year (and what a year it has been), I wanted to stop by and share a new project. A Little Greener is a weekly podcast that a friend (and fellow environmental educator) and I have started to share our thoughts about nature, living sustainably, and conservation issues. Since this clearly overlaps with my blog content–and in fact, I based an upcoming podcast episode on one of my previous blog posts–I wanted to share it here for those who may be interested. Please feel free to check out our second episode below, or find us on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Podbean. You can also follow us @alittlegreenerpod on Instagram or search for A Little Greener Podcast on Facebook.
Also, if you have your own nature podcast you’d like to share, or one that you already love to listen to, please feel free to share in the comments. I am new to the podcasting world, and would love to learn, grow, and develop a communnity.
I do hope to continue writing here once life settles down a bit, too. In the meantime, thanks for reading, and stay safe!
From the plastic pollution to climate change to animal extinctions, environmental issues can feel overwhelming. How do we stay positive in the face of negative environmental news? We can start by looking for the helpers.
Mr. Fred Rogers once shared a piece of advice from his mother on dealing with catastrophes. “Always look for the helpers. There will always be helpers.” Unfortunately, the helpers don’t often get much attention, but finding the helpers in our environmental crises reminds us that there is hope. Here are the stories of a few that have had an impact on me over the years.
You may have seen the headlines that scientists estimate that plastic in the ocean will exceed fish by weight by 2050. Boyan Slat, a Dutch inventor, is working to change that. I first heard of him back in 2013 when I learned through my co-workers about this teenager that was going to save our oceans. Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup project at just eighteen years old. I have been following his work since then, and it has been such an encouragement to watch the progress. The organization has been developing a system that can be deployed into the ocean to collect and retain plastic on the surface of the water, and has tested two models. Although the system is not yet fully functional, The Ocean Cleanup has a goal of achieving a 90% reduction of floating ocean plastic by the year 2040. While you may find conservationists split over his approach, Slat’s creativity, passion, and determination are inspirational.
Another organization that I learned about through my work is the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Persevering through challenges such as civil unrest and the Ebola virus outbreak in 2016, the hard-working, passionate GRACE staff, made up of members of the local community, give their time and effort to provide care and a safe space for Grauer’s gorillas that have been rescued from poachers. They also work to educate the local community about this critically endangered species. Knowing that there are people like this fighting for endangered species around the globe is a huge reason to hope.
You don’t have to be a teenage prodigy or dedicating your life to the conservation of a species to be a helper, though. One of my constant inspirations (in all areas of life) is my own mother. Several years ago, she took online classes to learn about the impact of environmental issues on global health. Since then, she has sought to make changes in her own life, even making the commitment to buy a hybrid car to reduce her carbon footprint. I have friends who are actively taking steps to reduce their waste, growing their own food, volunteering their time to conservation organizations, and even starting their own eco-friendly businesses. They remind me that helpers are everywhere, doing things large and small, to positively impact our planet.
So, as Mr. Rodgers said, the next time you feel bogged down by the state of the environment, remember to look for the helpers. And, like my mother, don’t forget to be the helper, too.
What are some of your favorite conservation organizations? How do you seek to be an environmental helper? What are some other ways that you keep from being overwhelmed by environmental news? Share your thoughts in the comments!
May the Fourth be with you! I am a huge Star Wars fan (rest assured I have been binge-watching the entire saga on Disney+ as I write), and what better day than Star Wars day to write about the stars—and the war we must fight to protect our night sky. Every Star Wars film kicks off with a shot of space—a dark expanse filled with stars. It is a sight that sparks inspiration and imagination, but is one that far too few of us can see from our own planet anymore.
A couple of weeks ago, I was enjoying the sunset from my back patio (not quite Luke’s iconic dual sunset on Tatooine, but still pretty great). As the sky darkened, I noticed the appearance of one bright star. As an aside, later research told me that this “star” was actually Venus—how cool is that? But, as the sky grew darker, I realized that I wasn’t seeing a single other star come in to view.
Venus appears in the darkening sky to the west
Now, to be fair, last night I went out in my backyard closer to midnight and was able to pick out maybe twenty or so stars. Perhaps I would have seen even more if I had stayed out longer, or if it had been a new moon. Still, it was a far cry from the 2,500 stars it is estimated we can see from earth. Living near a big city, my night sky views are less than impressive, thanks to what we call light pollution. The glow from streetlights, signs, and exterior lighting all come together to overpower the night sky, obscuring all but the moon and the brightest stars and planets.
The sad thing is that I can’t even really grasp what I’ve lost. There are fewer and fewer places where we can escape the interference of artificial lights to truly experience the majesty of a starry night. I can’t remember the last time that I was able to personally witness a sky full of stars. There are any number of reasons to help fight against light pollution (artificial light disorients sea turtle hatchlings and migrating birds, not to mention the energy costs of unnecessary lighting), but for me, the loss of stars is the loss of an opportunity to connect as a global community, be inspired by the natural world, and experience the wonder of Creation. Do you remember in The Force Awakens, when Rey finally gets off of Jakku after living her whole life on a desert planet? As Han brings the Falcon in to land on a forested planet, we can feel her awe as she says, “I didn’t know there was this much green in the whole galaxy.” I imagine I might have this same feeling stepping outside under a full night sky.
Of course, we cannot simply do away with all artificial light. The International Dark-Sky Association has a wealth of information about simple steps that individuals and businesses can take to reduce light pollution. The basic suggestions taken directly from their website include making sure that your lighting:
Only be on when needed
Only light the area that needs it
Be no brighter than necessary
Minimize blue light emissions
Be fully shielded (pointing downward)
You can head on over to their site for plenty of other specifics on the impacts of light pollution, how to pick appropriate lighting, and other ways that you can help. You can also look for good stargazing spots near you by exploring their International Dark Sky Places program.
I titled this post Fighting for the Dark Side. But in this case, fighting for darkness really is fighting for the Light: finding balance and harmony with the world around us. And, personally, I’d take a sky lit up with stars over an artificial city glow any night.
A breathtaking view Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Pexels.com
How is the view of the stars from your part of the galaxy? Do you have a favorite stargazing spot? Feel free to share in the comments!
If you are looking for ways to live a sustainable lifestyle, there’s no shortage of information out there on different things you can do. From making your own cleaning products to planting a pollinator garden to making sustainable swaps, trying to be eco-friendly can sometimes feel time consuming and overwhelming. But, while those things are important, living for the planet doesn’t always have to be about doing more. For those days when you want to save the planet, but also don’t want to get off your couch, here are a few ways that you can actually do less and still be an environmental superhero.
Cut out the yard work
Lawn maintenance can be a time-consuming task, and it tops the list of my least favorite chores. Fortunately for me, conservationists agree that well-manicured lawns do nothing for the environment. Where we see healthy, bright green grass, native wildlife sees a wasteland without any native food or shelter. Those dandelions that so many people spend time and energy to remove can be a good early source of food for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. To top it off, the pesticides and fertilizers we use to keep that grass growing and weed free are detrimental to insects and cause chemical runoff in our waterways.
Dandelions are a potential food source for pollinators Photo by Ela Haney on Pexels.com
In the fall, many of us are used to raking and bagging fallen leaves to be hauled away. However, once again, conservationists are encouraging us to skip raking and leave the leaves as a natural source of shelter for insects. Fallen leaves also return nutrients to the soil.
Leaving the leaves can provide winter shelter for wildlife
So give yourself a break: let those dandelions grow and those leaves fall! If you get some weird stares from your neighbors, just tell them you are doing your part for native wildlife.
Skip the sorting
Confession: I have not sorted a load of laundry during my entire adult life, be it by color or fabric or item. If it isn’t a hand-wash or dry clean item, it goes into the machine in cold water. During my college years, I skipped out on sorting laundry in order to save those precious quarters. These days, I just plain don’t want to waste the time and energy to sort. Once again, though, there is a real environmental benefit to this lazy habit. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 90% of the energy used by your washing machine goes towards heating the water, and only 10% to actually running the washer, so washing on cold is a huge energy saver.
Stop sorting your laundry to save time, money, and energy
A couple of laundry bonus tips: do laundry less often! Make sure to wait until you have a full load before running your machine. Newer machines may use anywhere from about 5 to 25 gallons of water per cycle, and older machines will use even more, so those energy and water savings add up over time. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet come up with an environmental reason to avoid folding socks, but if you want a step to skip when it comes to drying your clothes, ditch the dryer sheets. It’s a small thing, but it keeps an unnecessary single-use item from going to the landfill.
Give yourself a nature break
Okay, so maybe this last one is technically doing something (and for that matter, doesn’t necessarily have a direct impact on the environment), but it is still a great excuse to use when you just don’t feel like getting that closet cleaned out. And, after all, getting outside is what this blog is all about, right? Putting away your to-do list and letting yourself spend even just 20 minutes outside in nature is a great way to clear your head and unwind. Plus, you may just find yourself inspired and energized to find more ways you can help protect our planet!
Take some time to relax in nature Photo by Kaique Rocha on Pexels.com
Do you have other ideas to add to this list? Share in the comments!
“We are all connected in the great circle of life.”
So says Mufasa to his son, Simba, in Disney’s The Lion King. The more time that I spend in the field of conservation and environmental education, the stronger I see this truth. I write about backyard wildlife so much because I think it is easiest for us to connect with what we can physically see, hear, and touch. But it is important for us to remember that we are part of a global community and our actions have the power to impact wildlife from our own doorstep clear to the other side of the world.
This Saturday, I will be participating in a virtual half marathon. Thanks to the hard work of an amazing friend and co-worker, my run through my neighborhood will be helping cheetahs in Africa in their race against extinction. I will be running as part of Team Cheetah, working to raise money and awareness about these awesome animals.
There are only about 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild
Capable of reaching speeds of up to 70mph (imagine being able to run as fast as a car on the highway!), cheetahs work hard to survive each day. Not only do they face natural competition from other, much larger, predators, but there are growing threats from habitat loss as human populations grow, conflict with farmers, and poaching. Fortunately, so many people are working to help. Team Cheetah is running in support of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Based out of Namibia, this organization works on all fronts, from helping to protect lands, helping farmers protect livestock, and rehabilitating cheetahs rescued from wildlife trafficking.
Giving money isn’t the only way to support conservation efforts, though! So, if donating to a stranger’s fundraising page isn’t your thing, please take a moment to explore the Cheetah Conservation Fund website. You can learn more about cheetahs and the amazing work that CCF does, and keep spreading the word. Every little bit helps to get cheetahs across the finish line.
Stepping Outside 