10 Simple Things That You Can Do. How You Can Make A Difference!
10 Simple Things That You Can Do.
Eliminating Poisons Around The House.
10 Simple Things That You Can Do To Help The Environment.
Become a member of Wild Spirit Rehab & Release Center.
Leave the car at home if possible. Ride a bike or walk to your destinations. Reducing your dependence on fossil fuels also reduces air pollutants that are increasing the problem of global warming.
Reuse or recycle your paper products. When you have papers which are blank on the back, reuse them for notes, coloring sheets, bird cage lining, shopping lists, etc.
Be a conscientious shopper. Buy products with as little wrapping as possible or with recyclable wrapping. Buy products made from recycled materials.
Keep your cats and dogs indoors or on a leash. Cats are responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of birds each year. Dogs are responsible for countless deer and other mammal injuries each year. It is not their fault, they are following their hunting instincts. Their human partners have to be responsible enough to keep them indoors or restrained at all times to prevent these unnecessary wildlife casualties.
Turn your thermostat down in the winter and up in the summer. Heating and cooling often requires fossil fuels which contribute to air pollution and global warming. You should also insulate and caulk around windows and doors. This will also reduce your heating and cooling costs.
Turn off the lights when you aren't in a room. Buy compact flourescents to replace those energy hungry filament bulbs common in most homes. Reduce your electrical needs to reduce your fossil fuel dependence.
Don't waste water. Clean drinkable water is becoming more scarce. Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it off. Put a brick in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water needed per flush.
Don't use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides on your lawn or garden. The runoff from these toxic chemicals can enter streams, ponds, or our drinking water. Pesticides don't just kill bad insects, it also kills beneficial insects and wildlife, and creates health problems for humans. For more information about pesticides and herbicides, contact the American Cancer Society and ask for their "Drug Free Lawn" pamphlet.
Use environmentally Friendly cleaning products around the house. See "Eliminating Poisons Around the House".
Creating habitat for wildlife is so simple that you can do it in your own backyard. All you need to start are a few things to supply the wildlife with shelter, water and food. This can be accomplished by choosing the proper trees and shrubbery for your area that will supply birds and mammals with both food and shelter. Many birds and insects also depend upon flowers for nectar, so be sure to plant a variety of flowers. The type of plants that you use will depend upon the type of wildlife in your area and the food sources that they depend upon. Supplemental feeding can be accomplished with bird feeders.
Water can be from a pond (even a small one), a stream, or a birdbath. Digging a small hole in the ground and filling it with water is sufficient enough for most wildlife. Birdbaths can be purchased at most garden stores. Butterflies like being around mud holes so make a mess in a corner if you like.
Don't feel you need a large backyard to encourage wildlife to visit. The balcony of a city apartment can become a wildlife habitat if it meets the three requirements of food, shelter, and water. A one acre lot in a town can be wildlife friendly just as easily as a twenty acre parcel. Don't be discouraged by the size of your backyard. With natural habitat being destroyed at record speeds by logging, development, and other factors, creating habitats for these animals is increasingly important.
To find out more about backyard habitats for wildlife, contact us at Wild Spirit or check out the National Wildlife Federation website for their backyard habitat program which offers suggestions and certification.
Eliminating Poisons Around The House.
Have you looked in your cupboards lately and read the labels on those brightly colored bottles and spray cans? You may notice some ingredients that seem like mystery ingredients with names you can't even pronounce. Others may have ingredient such as chlorine which you may not be aware are hazardous to our environment and your health. A good clue to determine if a product is safe for you and the environment is to simply read the label for ingredients and hazard warnings.
If any of the products have questionable ingredients or hazard warnings, the container (empty or full) must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Call your local municipality for further disposal instructions. Products as simple as hair die may contain ingredients that can cause future health problems. Common disinfectant sprays contain orotho-phenylphenol which is a known carcinogen, not only unhealthy for people, but also for the environment.
Many of the chemicals that we use in our homes are dangerous to both the environment and ourselves. So what's the alternative? The first thing to do would be to alter your habits. Change those dangerous products with natural alternatives which can be purchased at your local health food store or supermarket. Be an alert and informed shopper. Read labels before you buy a product.
For some natural and safe alternatives check out our Safe Alternatives Web Page.
Planting trees is a simple and important aspect of environmental conservation if it is done properly. I stress the point that it has to be done properly, for if a species is planted in the wrong climate, it will not prosper, and planting non-native species can push out native species which native wildlife may depend upon.
Planting trees helps our environment by filtering pollutants out of the air, creating habitat and homes for wildlife, and reducing global warming. It has been documented that clearcutting our forests have been environmentally hazardous to all three of these aspects.
It is simple to plant trees in your neighborhood. First you must research which trees thrive in, and are native to, your part of the country. A local nursery or garden club can help you in determining which trees are best. They can also tell you where you can purchase trees and the best way to plant them.
Planting trees can also save you money when they are planted near your home. They act as a wind block and insulator during the winter and can block the heat from the sun during the summer months. Plant evergreens on the weather side of the house and plant trees that lose their leaves in the winter on the southern side of the house. Ask your garden club or nursery which trees are best to plant in each location in your area.
To find out more about the benefits of planting trees, contact the National Arbor Day Foundation at 100 Arbor Ave., Nebraska City, NE 68410. To get free trees to plant and to get more information about planting trees check out the Arbor Day website. (Not affiliated with the National Arbor Day Foundation.)
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