By Bonnie White, member of Creston Climate Action Society
Welcome back to our monthly column!
Here, we will focus on another suggestion from David Attenborough’s documentary, “A Life on Our Planet”. We need to make a serious effort to restore the biodiversity on all portions of Earth to help heal our planet. This means we need to focus on assisting damaged or destroyed ecosystems by bringing back lost species and habitats that would have occurred naturally in that area. And we need to fiercely protect wild natural lands that are still left all over the planet to provide spaces for this to go on without human interference.
Everything is connected on planet Earth and every plant, insect, animal, fungi, and microscopic creature has a purpose and reason for being. Even mosquitoes! They are food for many, including bats and fish, and are annoying to us humans but very important and vital to the beings that rely on them. Wetlands protect areas from flooding and storm surges and provide habitat and migratory pit stops for many travelling birds. Plants and trees provide many natural medicines that may be lost forever as forests are cut down and many plants cannot grow in altered environments. Clearing forest to feed livestock or grow monoculture plantations like palm is removing a whole world of biodiversity. A missing link in the chain of nature has far reaching implications. Just look at what is happening with the declining salmon stocks and the impact it is having on coastal killer whales and their habits. Our substantial changing of the natural world has caused many things to suffer greatly or become extinct as they no longer have what they need to survive. This impact is affecting us too and will only increase over time. Nature needs our care and consideration rather than our dominance over it all.
What can you do? Local and far reaching help is needed! Please pressure politicians and government leaders to invest in projects that support restoring biodiversity and preserving natural spaces. Try to purchase items that have been produced in a sustainable manner, and do your research when making choices. Our spending dollars and purchases send a clear message about the changes we would like to see and what we want to support. Consider what you can do in your own community and yard. Lawns are a monoculture type of planting and limit available areas for many creatures to use. You could reduce the amount of lawn in your yard and add plants to provide interest and varied supports to wild creatures. Native plants are the best choices for this. Try to adapt the planting to the existing conditions in your area such as shade, wet spaces, windy spots, or poorer soils. There really is a plant for every spot.
Everything is here for a reason, and we need to consider those reasons before we make drastic changes to the landscape around us. All life deserves our consideration and respect. And our future depends on it!
Creston Climate Action is currently fundraising to help support the group and initiatives. One of our members, Kuya Minogue, is selling original calligraphy artwork honoring our planet with titles like “Mind/Heart Embracing Earth” and “Beautiful Earth”. The minimum donation is $25, plus any postage if it needs to be mailed. All proceeds go to support Creston Climate Action. Some of her artwork has already travelled to Atlanta, Georgia and Whitehorse, Yukon! Please see the attached pictures for examples of the artwork. We thank you for your support.
To get involved, visit the Creston Climate Action Facebook page or send an email to crestonclimateactionsociety@gmail.com. We would love to connect with you!
READ MORE: E-Tips: The Realities of Climate Change