Simple Steps. Big Impact.
EnviroTips are simple, commonsense answers to questions about living mindfully in relationship with the environment.
Start with simple solutions and move to deeper content when you’re ready …
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- Four Steps to a Resilient Life
Reflecting on Embodied Activism and Overwhelm Do you ever feel grief-stricken, angry, anxious, or depressed about the state of the environment? This happens to environmentally conscious humans… We put it on ourselves to be the best environmental activists we can be when there is a limit to our personal capacity. Sami Aaron, the executive director… Read more: Four Steps to a Resilient Life - All the Baby Trees by Vivian FaulknerLast year, as I was walking the paths, it occurred to me that these trees were in trouble. Unless the collars were removed, the trees that were now established would start growing through the mesh which would harm them in the long-term… I stated that the trees needed someone who cared about them to do this task and that I was not going to give up.
- From Lawn to Wildlife Habitat: Conservation Starts in Your Own BackyardI’m hooked. I want to garden for wildlife by planting native plants, and here’s why: I’ve been gardening with natives off and on for the past thirty years, feeling it’s the right thing to do but without a bedrock reason. Doug Tallamy, author of Nature’s Best Hope, has provided the best reason I’ve heard yet:… Read more: From Lawn to Wildlife Habitat: Conservation Starts in Your Own Backyard
- Save The Ocean: Taking Action From HomeBetween absorbing up to 25% of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere and nearly eight metric tons of plastic refuse each year, our oceans are working hard to support modern life. Greenhouse gasses, noise pollution from tankers, and chemical contaminants from offshore drilling platforms are the chief concerns regarding what harms our seas the most. The… Read more: Save The Ocean: Taking Action From Home
- Resources Search Engine: Our Gift To YouWe started a resource to share our favorites, be they books, movies, podcasts, apps, websites, or organizations. It covers the spectrum from mental health to climate action and from Justice/Equity/Diversity/Inclusion to meditation. There are lots of resources in the Kansas City/Lawrence areas, along with many that are national or international.
- Why I Started Upcycle Philippines“Upcycle Philippines” is a name given to the beloved advocacy project I founded that spearheaded the movement on environment conservation through the system of upcycling by fostering awareness of the circular economy. How did it all begin? It started when I cleaned my house and decluttered stuff. I was 5 months into my pregnancy, and… Read more: Why I Started Upcycle Philippines
- Our Earth WalkNature Easing Environmental Anger, Anxiety, and Grief (Editor’s note: this article was written for a course at Rockhurst University on “Writing for the Environment.” Students paired with nonprofit organizations to create articles and other supportive content. It was a wonderful collaboration with some really insightful and articulate students! For this article, Anna watched a pre-recorded… Read more: Our Earth Walk
- Self-Care – Cultivating Play and RestIn my last blog post, I wrote about activism as self-care…..which for me is the easy part….doing. But as I am learning, self-care should also include adequate rest and play. Play isn’t something that comes to me naturally as a more Type A personality, and play was not modeled or encouraged in my home growing… Read more: Self-Care – Cultivating Play and Rest
- Four Steps for a Resilient LifeReflecting on Embodied Activism and Overwhelm I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of embodied activism and how it relates to eco-aware activities that give us the most stress and sense of gloom, doom, and overwhelm. If there was a way to make changes to your activism so it feels good, it’s uplifting, and… Read more: Four Steps for a Resilient Life
- How to Know a Green Rental Home When You See OneSo, you’re in the market for a rental home and you want to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum. The good news is that more landlords are conscious of how they can conserve energy and water in their properties these days. And fortunately, more real estate developers are trying harder to build structures with… Read more: How to Know a Green Rental Home When You See One
- Healing Myself to Heal the PlanetWhen I was 26 I embarked on the most profound healing journey of my life. I worked with a therapist from a body-centered, somatic place to unearth my core childhood and relationship love wounds. I thought I was going into therapy to work on my dad issues, but what I discovered in my body, and… Read more: Healing Myself to Heal the Planet
- A Zero Waste Lifestyle: Good for the PlanetMy zero waste lifestyle began after I heard the statement, “There may be a plan B but there is not a planet B.” I was in awe of a reality I hadn’t yet processed. Since then, I watched the documentary “COWSPIRACY: The Sustainability Secret” only to learn more about the destruction industrial agriculture causes. Soon… Read more: A Zero Waste Lifestyle: Good for the Planet
- Great Ways to Go Green on St. Patrick’s DayA largely celebrated holiday is known for being green but how can the holiday be celebrated with a green mindset? Bike to the Bar If you’re hoping to head out to the pubs consider biking. You will be joining the growing movement of biking commuters. This is a great way to cut down on greenhouse… Read more: Great Ways to Go Green on St. Patrick’s Day
- Moving Toward a Zero Waste LifestyleMoving Toward a Zero Waste Lifestyle It can seem like not a day passes by without more bad news concerning the environment. In the face of such huge reported problems, it’s easy to feel helpless and be discouraged. But there’s an effective approach that everyone can take to reduce their impact on the planet’s resources,… Read more: Moving Toward a Zero Waste Lifestyle
- EnviroTip #14: Revamp our SpendingMuch about our spending can be reflected in the way we eat chocolate. One of the five essentials for a resilient world is to “Revamp Our Spending.” We at The Resilient Activist believe that part of both self-care and eco-regeneration is to shift what we as a culture value so we can live more happily… Read more: EnviroTip #14: Revamp our Spending
- Envirotip: Steal some mulchNeed mulch or leaves for compost? If you live in a city where the sanitation department picks up yard waste, you can score big for your garden. My walking partner, J, has been building a big raised vegetable garden. The sides are about 30″ high, made of wood and corrugated steel. When the time came… Read more: Envirotip: Steal some mulch
- EnviroTip #13: Meditation – A Powerful Resiliency ToolQ: What is one of the most powerful resiliency tools? A: A regular meditation practice. And here’s the good news: you don’t even have to know how to meditate! Through local teachers, books, and various online sites and mobile apps, you can treat yourself to guided meditations that will help you slow down incessant thoughts,… Read more: EnviroTip #13: Meditation – A Powerful Resiliency Tool
- EnviroTip #12: Going Zero-Waste with Personal CareWe have a TerraCycle recycling program for personal care items going on now in our hometown, Kansas City! As you collect your waste from toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss containers, mouthwash containers, deodorant, and shaving, notice how much waste you produce! Even if it’s recycled, there is still the energy usage for manufacturing these containers in the… Read more: EnviroTip #12: Going Zero-Waste with Personal Care
- EnviroTip #11: A Home TourSo, what can one suburban family do to make a difference for the climate? In our home, it’s just one simple change at a time, and we learn more every day. Others have taken their zero-waste, nature-connected lives much deeper than we have and I applaud their passion and commitment. Here are links to two… Read more: EnviroTip #11: A Home Tour
- EnviroTip #10: Grief and Hope in Times of Environmental AngstIs there light at the end of this tunnel? One of the most frequent comments The Resilient Activist hears is that caring about the environment and the destructive impact humans are having on the natural world can be overwhelming and gut-wrenching. There is the sense that trying to do anything of value, anything that will… Read more: EnviroTip #10: Grief and Hope in Times of Environmental Angst
- EnviroTip #9: Mothering a Young Environmentalist Without Going Off the RailsFor parents of young nature lovers. Helpful tools to support their hearts and minds when you communicate to your children what’s happening in the environment around them. What is the meaning of “Off the rails?” My Mindful Parenting Lesson First Essential Ethic: Notice Second Essential Ethic: Honesty Daily Life Practice Comment on this article Parenting is… Read more: EnviroTip #9: Mothering a Young Environmentalist Without Going Off the Rails
- EnviroTip #8: Spend time noticing natureSimple Steps. Big Impact. “The word ‘nature’ means everything in the world which is not organized and constructed by man.” Lily de Silva, Early Buddhist Attitudes toward Nature Why tune into nature? This EnviroTip article is a little different from most of the others. It’s ways you can be more aware of the… Read more: EnviroTip #8: Spend time noticing nature
- EnviroTip #7: Food Prep with the planet in mindSimple Steps. Big Impact. Food Prep: It can make a difference The food you eat grew from soil, water, and sunlight. The best way to give these nutrients back to the planet is by literally finding ways to get your food scraps outside where they can decompose back into the soil. Food scraps… Read more: EnviroTip #7: Food Prep with the planet in mind
- EnviroTip #6: Fall Bulb Prep & Early PollinatorsSimple Steps. Big Impact. Fall Bulb Prep and Planting for Early Pollinators As part of deepening our understanding of the interconnectedness of everything, Advanced Master Gardener, Darlene Arnett gives us tips for how to plan, prep, and plant your fall bulbs with nature – bees and butterflies that emerge early in the spring … Read more: EnviroTip #6: Fall Bulb Prep & Early Pollinators
- EnviroTip #5: Choose who you give your money toSimple Steps. Big Impact. Use your purchasing power to support a healthy planet Do you really need the item you’re planning on buying? What companies do you want to do business with? Whoa, this sounds like a lot of work! Easy peasy: how to begin What if the “green” option feels too expensive? Want to… Read more: EnviroTip #5: Choose who you give your money to
- EnviroTip #4: Actively “Green” Our PlanetSimple Steps. Big Impact. Let’s Green It Up! You personally can make an enormous difference in supporting populations of pollinators and other wildlife by choosing to garden from nature’s eye. To get an idea of how to do this, take a couple of minutes to read the “Evolution of a Gardener.” It’s one gardener’s mindset… Read more: EnviroTip #4: Actively “Green” Our Planet
- EnviroTip #3: Plastic Straws & Styrofoam: Who Needs ‘Em?Simple Steps. Big Impact. No Straw; No Styrofoam Please! The movement to eliminate single-use straws and polystyrene foam (what we commonly call “Styrofoam”) is on. The more we learn about both of these items, the more it’s clear that it’s time to break some habits that are not only unhealthy for us, but… Read more: EnviroTip #3: Plastic Straws & Styrofoam: Who Needs ‘Em?
- EnviroTip #2: Plastic Bags: Breaking Up Is Hard To DoSimple Steps. Big Impact. Solution #1: Quit using them Solution #2: Already have a bunch of plastic bags? Use them till they fall apart, then recycle them Solution #3: Use bags made from environmentally friendly materials Go Deeper Resource Links Comment on this article So, what’s the problem with plastic bags? Let’s start off with… Read more: EnviroTip #2: Plastic Bags: Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
- EnviroTip #1: Tomato Hornworms: Feeling The LoveSimple Steps. Big Impact. Tobacco Hornworm Image credit: Lenora Larson Solution #1: Plant a sacrificial garden just for the hornworms Solution #2: Repel them with companion plants Solution #3: Bring them inside & raise them Go Deeper Resource List Comment on this article Have you ever wished you had an easy answer for how to… Read more: EnviroTip #1: Tomato Hornworms: Feeling The Love
- Welcome to EnviroTipsSimple Steps. Big Impact. The Resilient Activist organization was created to answer the burning question, “What simple steps can we humans take to have a positive impact on the planet in a way that feels easy and natural?” I just googled that question and got 198,000,000 results like these: The top 5 ways to live… Read more: Welcome to EnviroTips
