Conservation and Covid-19

Posted on: May 6th, 2020

The past month has brought on new, unprecedented challenges for all. Inability to find necessities, finding new ways to stay in touch without face to face interaction, and above all, devastating loss.

We have found that it can be difficult in this time to stay positive, but we are trying our best. Some of the positive outcomes we have seen are communities banding together to honor our frontline heroes (e.g. Colorado residents howl outdoors every night at 8 PM to thank healthcare workers), resiliency and ability to connect with others in new ways, and significant changes to the environment. As an organization that teaches connection and conservation, these are all very important and encouraging for us.

One of the ways we can help our followers during this time is through encouraging conservation practices. Not only will this help continue positive, environmental change, it will also be helpful for you if you are having trouble finding supplies, such as paper goods, and save you money. Many stores are starting to get back to normal stocking abilities, but why not take this time to make some changes? Here are a few suggestions, using common household items, that can benefit you and the environment:

• Do you use paper towels to dry your hands at the kitchen sink? Instead, try using a kitchen towel, or any towel you own, that you can keep nearby to dry your hands.
• Use paper towels or paper napkins for each meal you share at home? Consider cloth napkins or towels to clean your hands!
• Have a lot of leftovers? Consider using tupperware with lids instead of using plastic wrap or foil for storing those leftovers!
• Similarly, do you use plastic baggies for storage or packing snacks and lunches? Try making the switch to tupperware!
• Do you end up with a lot of plastic water bottles in your recycling? Make an effort to use your reusable water bottle!
• Make the switch to reusable shopping and produce bags. If you don’t have a reusable bag, you can even save and reuse plastic bags from your last shopping trip. If your store is currently not letting you use your own reusable bags, ask for paper bags over plastic!

It is hard to say what the world will look like moving forward. We keep hearing that it is time for things to go back to normal and the way things were. While we hope that we are soon able to meet people again, open businesses to support our local communities, and overall get back to a space of interaction, we also hope that some of the positive outcomes will remain. Find ways to connect with new people, keep the new found camaraderie with your community, support one another, and make positive changes for the environment.

This is our world, we all play a part in caring for it. Stay healthy and safe!