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1. Give a gift which helps many

   Posted on 8:00am Thursday 22nd Jun 2017

   I read this wonderful quote recently from somebody called Charley Willey, who worked out the following: "Make one person happy each day and in 40 years, you will have made 14,600 human beings happy for a little time, at least."  That struck a chord with me, and of course as an animal lover, I came up with an alternate version: "Make one animal happy each day and in 40 years, you will have made 14,600 aniamls happy for a little time, at least." Of course, you can make your dog or cat happy every day and at the end of that time, that will just have been one animal over the length of time that you are blessed with them.   But then there are ways to reach out to help a vast number of animals.   Feed the birds in your garden or via a window feeder, and you feed many (or more than one, at any rate).  Grow wildlife friendly flowers in your garden with a simple packet of seeds, and you'll help butterflies and moths, bees and other insects. Put a small wildlife pond in your garden or a bird bath and watch in enjoyment as animals come to drink or take a quick dip. Plant a tree and you'll give hundreds of animals shade from the sun, shelter from the rain, and somewhere to rest and nest. Sponsor an acre, and you'll help thousands of animals and many different species by providing them or protecting their habitat - the area where they live. GIve a horse lover a virtual gift from a charity like the Brooke or Spana and you can help hundreds of horses, donkeys, mules and camels, all thirsty after working long hours in incredibly hot temperatures.    Add your name to a petition and improve the lot of animals in your country or abroad. Every act helps and every act has the power to improve the lives of animals and people world wide.  And every act has the potential to help not just one animal but millions of them.

2. Reducing our rubbish

   Posted on 10:00pm Tuesday 6th Jun 2017

   Stop producing the rubbish in the first place We need to stop putting rubbish into the ocean – it will end up somewhere, even if it is on the other side of the world.   What goes around, comes around.   If 1 of us stopped using one plastic bottle a week - that would mean 52 less plastic bottles a month.  If two people stopped, that would be 104.  If 10 people stopped, that would be 520 less in the environment.  What was found in the MCS Beach Clean Up Weekend The top 10 Items found on beaches in the 2016 clean up Plastic/polysterene pieces Cigarette stubs Packets (crisps, sweets, lollies, sandwiches) Caps and lids String and cord Cotton bud sticks Glass Wet wipes Fishing line Plastic drinks/bottles Popular items found on Henderson Island in the Pitcairns were toy soldiers, dominos, toothbrushes and hundreds of hardhats, cigarette lighters And on the Versova beach in India, the volunteers discovered blue plastic bags, faded milk packets, torn teddy bears, soaking diapers, wrappers, empty toothpaste tubes, all of which were washed ashore.    Taking a look at the litter found in beach clean ups – what do you use, and is there a substitute?   I'm going to take a look at  and   for a start.

    

3. Help clear up the rubbish with a beach clean up

   Posted on 9:00pm Tuesday 6th Jun 2017

   Help clear up the rubbish with a beach clean up What would be helpful and encouraging for us all is to know that lots of people are getting involved.   People are already caring for the ocean.  We just have to join them and lend a hand.  We’re not acting alone.  Join in beach clean ups There are hundreds of people getting involved all over the world.  People are doing what they can in their patch with their own communities.   They are getting up at the weekends, heading to the beach, joining groups and getting busy picking up litter.  Joining groups like this is empowering – it shows that we’re not acting alone.   Not near a beach? If you’re nowhere near a beach, check out the Canal and River Trust to see if there’s a volunteer group near you.  The water from rivers and canals end up somewhere. Be inspired by... A whopper beach clean An amazing example is a the Versova beach clean up in India, near the city of Mumbai.   One man started a beach clean and others gradually joined in.  In the end 1,000 volunteers took 85 months to turn the beach from a huge rubbish dump and turn it into a pristine, beautiful place.   And volunteers have planted 500 trees as well.   A smaller beach clean In Dorset in the south of England, there are small groups of volunteers who are packing a punch and having a real local impact on their beaches by taking part in beach clean ups.   They also campaign, educate and promote the importance of healthy living for us all.  Click here for more info 7 beach clean up ideas The Marine Conservation Society Great British Beach Clean - 15-18 September 2017, but there are also lots of events you can get involved with during the year.   The Great Winter Nurdle Hunt - there's a nurdle guide to help you. The #2minutebeachclean  - spend just 2 minutes clearing the beach, or more!  Every piece of marine plastic removed from the beach is a piece that will no longer go on to kill. World Clean up Day - 15 September 2018 - people in 150 countries will stand up against the global trash problem and clean up waste Just go and create your own beach clean up - even five minutes is better than none Clean up as you go - always take your litter home with you and dispose of it, recycling where you can Why not suggest your company does a beach clean as a team building event?

    

4. Plant Pots for Pollinators - help butterflies by going potty!

   Posted on 1:00pm Friday 2nd Jun 2017

   It’s great to hear about initiatives people can join in with - and better to hear that people are actually joining up and making a difference. This morning I discovered that Butterfly Conservation (who work to conserve butterflies) have an initiative called Plant Pots for Pollinators. It’s an amazing project.   Butterfly Conservation are asking people to plant a pot or pots for pollinators – butterflies and bees. Butterfly Conservation says the UK has 1,500 pollinating species – bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies, beetles, wasps, butterflies and moths.  Changes in land use and the way it’s managed are destroying vital wildlife habitat on farms, woodlands, towns and cities.  We need to look after our pollinators.    Over 80% of EU crops and 80% of wildlflowers need insect pollination.   Pollinators can only look after us, if we look after them.   And if we provide habitat for them, they will come.   The sight of colourful butterflies fluttering around your garden thanks to your efforts is a truly lovely one.   There’s something very relaxing about listening to bees buzzing around flowers.  So the more plants we pot and grow for our pollinators, the better.  There’s a planting guide with suggestions of what butterflies like The Plant Pots for Pollinators scheme is sponsored by B&Q, so watch for Butterfly Conservation events at some B&Q stores.  And you can add your pot to Butterfly Conservation’s interactive map, which shows how many people have planted a pot and where in the country that pot is.     So far, 340 plant pots have been planted.   Go potty for pollinators this summer!

    

5. It's National Tree Week - 10 things to do with trees

   Posted on 8:19pm Tuesday 22nd Nov 2016

    

   National Tree Week takes place from 26th November to 4th December in 2016.   Celebrate all things tree and branch out with these leafy activities!  National Tree Week is organised by the Tree Council - it's the largest tree celebration in the UK and it launches the start of the winter tree planting season. This is a great opportunity to do something positive for trees in your area.  10 Tree Things to Do  Send a tree through the post Yes, honestly.  There’s a tree (or a bush) for everyone even in a hallway or on a balcony.   Rather than send flowers which don’t last, send a tree or bush which will last longer.  Some trees/bushes even produce things you can eat…. Tree2mydoor.com is to trees what a florist is to flowers so this Christmas why not send a tree as a gift? Hunt for ancient trees Help the hunt for Ancient Trees and help boost the ancient tree inventory.  This is a great outdoors activity, aided by the fact you can choose the day (and weather) on which to do it.  Your family can go hunting for ancient trees and if you find one, let the Woodland Trust know about it.  It helps them lobby to protect ancient trees and care for them, and plan for their proteciton in the future.  The Woodland Trust has a leaflet for children with activities to do.  Plant a tree or join a community plant From small trees to the mighty oak, you can plant a tree in your garden or join a community project and enjoy it for years. Get your community planting trees or volunteer to help on a tree planting near you.  This is a great way to meet new people and make friends and get all earthy.  The Woodland Trust has more information on community planting Who lives in woodland and trees? Wildlife need our woodland and our trees. Discover who lives in our woodlands and trees and our forests.  The Wildlife Trust and Woodland Trust both have information about who lives there.    Become a tree surgeon This could be a great career for anyone who loves the outdoors life and trees!  Tree surgeons plant, they fell, they care for and maintain trees and assess their hazards.   You can find more info at the National Careers Service website here and The Arboricultural Association has information as well. Be a tree warden for the Tree Council The Tree Warden Scheme is a national initiative to enable people to play an active role in conserving and enhancing their local trees and woods. The scheme was founded and is co-ordinated by The Tree Council.  Trees, shrubs and hedging from Suttons Seeds Plant a tree in memory  My wonderful Dad died in 2013.   Birthdays and Christmases are difficult.  I felt I wanted to mark events such as this in some way so I’ve started planting a tree in Dad’s memory for these occasions and Father’s Day.   So far, I’ve planted a tree with the Alderney Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust in Sussex and 5 trees in Ecuador with the World Land Trust, all in his name and memory.  It took a while for the idea to surface, but I do smile at the thought of trees being dedicated to Dad all over the world. I try to find a link between each tree and Dad.  He was a Winnie the Pooh fan, so I planted a tree in Sussex which is Winnie the Pooh country. Campaign for Trees The Woodland Trust campaigns for Trees – visit their website to see if there are any campaign's you could support.   Examples include being a voice for trees and woods, telling the Trust about threats to ancient woods, and taking action in your community. Find out what you can do to help  Identify trees How many of us know our oak from our beech?  The Woodland Trust has information you can use to discover which tree is which.   Visit the woods near you and enjoy them. Visit Trees for Cities Trees for Cities is working to make cities greener places in which to live and visit world wide.  There are opportunities to volunteer, either as an individual or a corporate entity.  Since 1993, over 70,000 people have planted over 600,000 urban trees in parks, streets, schools and housing estates across the UK, as well as internationally.