Celebrating Earth Week together as a family - Bownessie style!

Earth Week leads up to Mother Earth Day, and is a wonderful chance to focus on the natural world, and the importance of cherishing it ready for generations to come. As a family, it’s a great opportunity to spend time together outside, and instil in children a love and sense of stewardship towards the environment.

There are countless ways to celebrate Earth Week or even just Earth Day as a family, from joining organised events or volunteer sessions, to activities just spent with the family.

Bownessie, a Guardian of nature in the Lake District, loves Earth Week, to see families coming together to celebrate the planet, and take action in their local environment. In this blog post, Bownessie explores creative, fun ideas to connect with nature, foster a love for the environment, and make a positive impact on the planet.

Sensory nature walks

It might seem simple, but just getting out into nature and exploring is a fantastic way to connect with the outdoors, and start to instill that feeling of connection. Head out to a local spot, or discover somewhere new!

Bownessie enjoys taking the time away from Windermere to discover new sights around the Lake District, although they're still very shy around other people!

As Bownessie would say, the place doesn’t matter as much as just being out and about in the fresh air. And get stuck in! It’s not just a wander to get from A to B, it’s an exploration, a journey. Take a moment with your family to focus on a sense and connect to it.

• Listen to the sounds of wildlife, the birds, the wind in the trees.
• Look for new discoveries. What’s under that rock? Who can find the most interesting shaped leaf?
• Touch new textures. How does the moss feel compared to tree bark?
• Smell the plants and flowers, how are they different?
• Taste…maybe bring along some snacks instead of trying the plants!

Don’t forget to bring along some wet wipes or hand sanitiser for those curious hands! 

If you’re in the Lake District, keep an eye out for Bownessie during Earth Week, will you catch a glimpse of them exploring a hidden spot?

Volunteer for a conservation project

Around Earth Week, many charities and organisations plan events to make a meaningful impact on their local environment. Whether your kids are little ones still exploring, or older teens needing to step outside, these events are a great way to help the environment as a family.

Whether it’s a park or beach cleanup, a tree planting event, or even a community garden planting group, it is very rewarding for all to get that sense of achievement for a job well done.

Whenever Bownessie is out and about, they love to see folks doing their bit to keep the beautiful Lakes clean and tidy!

Sustainable arts, crafts and upcycling

Encourage creativity in your house while being sustainable through some eco-friendly crafts and upcycling. If you are a crafty, creative household, you will know the importance of everyday items that can be used in all sorts of crafts, from toilet roll inners to lollysticks. Although it can be tempting to buy craft items new, it is such a fun challenge to scrounge for things to be able to use, as it stretches the brain to come up with ideas on what to do with them. Challenge your crafty kids with a selection of assorted objects, recycled boxes, old clothes, etc, and watch their creativity bloom!

If you prefer to have a more guided idea on what to do with your assorted recycled items, there are loads of art ideas floating around places like Pinterest to get you started.

The important thing is for you and the family to recognise that we don’t need to buy new items to be creative, there are plenty of items that get used and disposed of that can be turned into hours of fun!

Even Bownessie likes to collect items to make some fantastical creations, making something new out of something old or natural is just the ticket to while away his time!

Recycling and composting

Use Earth Week as a starting opportunity to establish good habits around recycling and composting.

Most councils in the UK have a variety of recycling opportunities, with some areas really quite strict on what can and can’t be put in the recycling bin. It may seem frustrating at first, but recycling can be a tricky process, and it’s important to follow the guidelines to ensure that the objects can be recycled properly.

Composting can be trickier than recycling, especially if you live somewhere that doesn’t have much outdoor space. Composting is a wonderful initiative, and a great one to get children involved in, as it demonstrates very well how plant waste from the kitchen can be used to grow new plants and replenish nutrients into the soil. If you are not in the position to start your own composting initiative, investigate local areas such as community gardens or garden centres that might allow you to investigate their composting process.

It will also be a good way to start some good behaviours on reducing food waste, especially if children can see just how quickly the compost piles up!

For more information on what can go into a compost bin, check out this handy infographic from Primrose.co.uk;

Reduce Energy consumption

In the current day and age, energy consumption is high and near-unavoidable. So many appliances rely on electricity, as well as our technology and houses. However, there are ways to start to reduce that energy consumption, which will not only benefit the environment, but also your energy bills!

Take the opportunity this Earth Week to start to get into the habit of turning appliances off at the wall when not in use, turning off lights when you leave the room, even reducing unnecessary water use.

Earth Week is a fantastic opportunity to come together as a family and celebrate our planet. Actively engaging in environment initiatives, and deepening your connection to nature can foster that love for the environment and the value of the natural world in your children so they can continue to steward our world.

As a Guardian of the natural world, Bownessie loves Earth Week, to see the enthusiasm it inspires in people of all ages.

Join them in making your positive impact in your local area.