Meewasin wants to share these 10 easy tips to celebrate and give back to the amazing planet that sustains our lives. We hope you use these tips not only today, but all the time! #EarthDayEveryDay
- Plant a garden and native species in your yard – they will help the local
pollinators, and have better chance or survival in our climate! The Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan has some great resources to get you started.
- Avoid single use plastic – Use reusable water bottles, and try reusable bags and containers for shopping in bulk. (Confirm with your store before bringing reusable bags during the COVID-19 pandemic). Saskatchewan Waste Reduction is sharing ways to continue recycling during this time. Meewasin also has some great reusable products in our online store!
- Be mindful of the harmful materials that can easily get washed into the storm drains, which lead directly into our fresh water (the river!). This includes the litter from your yard, pet waste and runoff from maintenance, including from washing your car at home.
- Immerse yourself in the outdoors! Download our Backyard Bingo for some ideas on how to connect with nature and the ecosystems living in it, or watch our video on how to practice nature mindfulness.
- Create habitat in your yard to make safe spaces for wildlife by building a bee hotel, bird box, or bat box. For more information, check out the City of Saskatoon’s Healthy Yards page.
- Utilize active transportation – good for both your health and the planet’s, active transportation is an important aspect to reducing your personal carbon footprint. Walk, roll or bike when you can!
- Choose local – the more local you purchase the less pollution and carbon emissions from packing and transporting get released. The Saskatoon Farmer’s Market is now online!
- Purchase second hand products – fast fashion is so out! Some research says a new pair of jeans takes roughly 1,800 gallons of water to make. Save some money while saving the planet and shop used! Thredup is an onlineretailer for your online shopping needs!
- Become a citizen scientist and help contribute to our understanding of the natural world around us by recording observations of plants, insects and animals using iNaturalist on the web or as an
app. Watch meewasin.com for our seasonal DIY Eco-Scavenger Hunts for species to look out for!
- Unplug appliances and devices when not in use + turn your lights off to help lower your energy consumption as well as benefit the nocturnal wildlife that call our city home. Appliances will still draw a small amount of power even when they’re switched off. These “phantom” loads, as they’re referred to, can happen in most appliances that use electricity. A power bar will make switching off easier.