Conservation Nation

                              Environmental Education for the next Generation                               Florida Gulf Coast University

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Flower Meanings

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White rose: purity, innocence, a new beginning, a fresh start, starting over

Red rose: love, I love you

Pink rose: grace, happiness, gentleness

Yellow rose: jealousy, infidelity

Black eyed Susan: justice

Carnation: women, love

Chrysanthemum: cheerfulness

Gardenia: secret love

Daisy: innocence and hope

Hibiscus: delicate beauty

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Learning the meaning of flowers you see outside could be a great way to introduce children to making a connection with their surrounding environment. Not only would this activity get them involved outside, but it can start children in understanding that what they observe outside all has meaning. For example, if they see flowers blooming you explain that it is spring and that pollinators are out to continue the cycle of growth. Or, if they can see falling colored leaves and corn stalks in the fall and they can understand that it is harvest time. They can observe that the trees are different colors because they are pulling the chlorophyl back into their center in order to conserve energy for the harsh winter. Teaching kids to observe what they see and make deductions from that is an important part of living a sustainable lifestyle and also learning compassion. 

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Credits to The Old Farmer’s Almanac for the flower meanings

https://www.almanac.com/content/flower-meanings-language-flowers

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This Halloween I decided to try and be especially eco-friendly by choosing mostly environmentally based activities or alternatives. The first way I was able to do this was through getting my pumpkins from a local farm. My family and I went to Farmer Mike’s U-Pick. Supporting local business is a great way to have a good time while also being sustainable. You can also meet some great people in your local area. Below are some pictures from my adventures at Farmer Mike’s Annual Fall Festival.

Next, I chose to carve pumpkins rather than my usual painting this year. I realized that previously I would paint my pumpkins but I was not using biodegradable paint. I would place them outside and it would rain, causing the chemicals from the paint to wash away into the preserve near my house. In order to fix this, I went with the traditional carving method instead. Carving them also allowed me to reduce my waste by saving the seeds and cooking them in the oven this year. This was a fun event to complete with my family too as we tried all different seasonings based on everyones preferences. We also where able to discuss the benefits of reducing waste in this way while snacking. See below for a picture of my family’s jack-o-lanterns!

After carving, we also used the pumpkin scraps in our small garden. As we live in a community, full out composting is challenging. I think this is probably an issue for many families interested in starting to compost. Using the scraps in your backyard or small potted garden can be a good way to start. 

On the day of Halloween, we chose to be eco-friendly by using LED lights in our yard when waiting for trick or treaters. We also chose to leave out a garbage pale and a recycling pale. This encouraged the neighborhood kids to be responsible rather than leave their plastic candy wrappers on the side walks and in the road.

Happy Halloween!

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1. When your carving pumpkins, compost the scraps and/or roast the seeds!

By roasting and eating your pumpkin seeds you putting sustainability into practice! You are using all parts of the pumpkin and making sure nothing goes to waste. By composting you pumpkin scraps you are also reducing the amount of waste sent to a landfill. Landfill trash is compacted, making it less open to oxygen for decomposition. This means that even organic materials, like a pumpkin, would take a long time to decompose.

2. If you are painting your pumpkins this year...

If you are swapping your carving tools for a paintbrush this year, remember to use biodegradable paint! You can also choose to not use chemical preservatives on your pumpkin to make it last longer. This will ensure no chemical leaching into your landscaping when you place your pumpkin outside.

3. LED Lighting

When hanging some spooky lights outside your house this year for trick or treaters, be conscious of the lights you are purchasing. LED lights or outdoor solar lights are a great way to conserve energy!

4. Costumes

If you are dressing up this Hallow’s Eve try to reuse old costumes or parts of old clothing you already own! This decreases waste from a single-use costume/ allows you to reuse things you have and save a little money this year! Another way to do this could be by hosting a costume swap with your friends or thrifting your costume.

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Found this great way to sustainably clean your fruits before eating. It is important to clean any produce after buying to make sure that no preservatives are left on the surface and to get rid of dirt from transportation. This is especially true if you are purchasing non-organic produce. Vinegar is a perfect way to clean and semi-preserve fruits and veggies without any chemicals leaching into your produce.

Credits: http://greenerthanthejoneses.com/?p=748

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1. Backpacks by Blue Rift Pack

- by purchasing one of these bags you are helping remove one pound of trash from the environment! 

- this company also hosts environment clean ups that you can get involved in!

2. Decomposition Notebooks

- these notebooks are made of 100% recycled, post-consumer waste paper and use a soy-based ink

3. Tree Smart Pencils

- these pencils are made up of 100% recycled newspaper

- they also don’t contain any tree-based products, tree free!

4. Onyx and Green Erasers

- made completely of recycled rubber!

- this is important because old car tires are a very big polluter

5. Onyx and Green Scissors

- these scissors are made up of corn plastic!

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“Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth’s human and ecological communities”

-Earth Charter, Pillar 1 Principle 4

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As we have just passed the full harvest moon or the Hunter’s Moon on October 13th, 2019 I wanted to look into the importance of full moons and why we name them. I found out that the hunter’s moon, specifically, is named so because Native American tribes used to chose to name the months after things they associated with that season or the upcoming season. At this time of the year, people knew they needed to start harvesting crops and hunting for/ curing meats for the winter. So, this moon was dubbed the harvest or hunter’s moon. A possible reason we still call it this is because the Colonial Americans adopted many of the Native American names and incorporated them into the modern calendar. The Hunter’s moon also is typically seen in September. However, every 3 years it occurs in October. like this year.

Moon watching is a great way to teach children history while also engaging them in the beauty of the natural world. This relates to the teachings of the Earth Charter because this document stresses the importance of learning about other cultures and respecting others. By simply taking the time to look up the history of naming Full Moons, you can learn intersting new information and take a step towards being more sustainable.

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This week I pledged to take the Recycle City game and reflect on it at the end of the week. I played the game titled “DumpTown.” Here, I had to enter the city hall and learn about their different waste reduction programs. These included pay as you throw, business composting, grasscyling, etc. As you clicked on each program and “tired it,” information on each method would come up. For example, I learned that grasscycling means that you leave the lawn trimmings on the ground rather than raking them up. This helps return the nutrients back into the environment and reduces cost and labor involved in cleaning up the lawn clippings. Overall, this game was not very interactive and I don’t think I could see children participating with it for prolonged periods of time. However, it had a lot of really good information and was fairly easy to use! This game may be more useful for parents to use the graphs and video game features but then provide their own explanations along with it. 

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Self Reflection Blog Post #4

Growing plants in your house is a great way to start implementing sustainability into your home. Plants located in sunny spots of your home or in windowsills can go through photosynthesis, taking in the carbon dioxide you release by breathing out and producing more oxygen for you to breathe in. This would also be a great way to introduce children to the idea of sustainability. Planting or placing plants around your house together with your children could provide the opportunity to teach them about the importance of photosynthesis and the ecosystem services that the plants provide. Choosing to go with herb plants like rosemary, basil, thyme, etc. can also be useful. This way you can use the plants in your cooking, save some money, it smells good, and children can learn even more! I personally have implemented this in my home by placing a basil plant in my kitchen window. I have had the opportunity to use my plant a few times already and it is functioning well in my window. Wish i had started doing this sooner!

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I recently found a cool game called Recycle City. It was created and is run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It practices sustainable ideas through an animated game where the player controls people in a city called Recycle City. The game strives to show the player(s) ways that they can reduce waste, use less energy, and save money by doing simple things at home, at work, and in their neighborhoods. This week, I will play this game a few times this week. At the end of the week I plan to reflect on it and rank how usable and effective the game was!

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Self Reflection Blog Post #3

I recently found out about Lush Cosmetics line of bath and shower products for children and so decided to give one a try! The products featured in the pictures above is like shower play-dough. The soap can easily be shaped into whatever you desire and also is multifunctional as a shampoo, body wash, etc. I found it to be a fun product to use and was happy to know that it was made with sustainability in mind. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with kids as this could be a great opportunity to explain the importance of using organic products and recycle-able packaging while experiencing fun bath time!

I also like that Lush prioritizes their ethical buying. They do this by buying from small scale, local buyers and fact checking where all of their ingredients come from. Lush says that “Buying from small-scale producer groups gives us the opportunity to drive positive change, encourage sustainability and form long-lasting relationships with people all over the world.” 

Both of these factors contribute to the pursuit of following pillar 1, principle 4 of the earth charter. Using these products and supporting sustainable businesses is important for the present generation. While being able to recycle their packaging and using biodegradable and organic ingredients supports the future generations. 

Check out this link for more information on how Lush participates in ethical buying practices: https://www.lushusa.com/article_our-values-ethical-buying.html

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13 Ways to Raise a Caring and Compassionate Child

When it comes to kindness, you are your child's primary teacher. Here's how to develop empathy in your child as a character trait and value.

Self Reflection Blog Post #2

As highlighted by the Earth Charter’s Pillar 1, Principle 4, it is imperative that we “transmit to future generations values...that support the long-term flourishing of Earth's human...communities.” That being said, a very important value or trait to pass on to our future generations should be compassion. Attached is an article that outlines the importance of teaching empathy to children. Empathy teaches children to read other people’s emotions and how to apologize for/ recognize their mistakes. Personally, I think this is one of the most important values that I hope to instill in and pass on to my future children.

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Self Reflection Blog Post #1

On Friday September 20th, 2019 students from FGCU, including myself, where able to participate in our own climate strike on campus. Participating in this strike/walk out while this was also going on all around the U.S. felt very empowering. We honestly felt like we where making a difference by being advocating for an issue we feel is extremely important. Although some onlookers seemed unsure of what we where doing and a bit judgmental, I think it was important that we where able to organize a large group to participate in the silent march together. Hopefully these events will continue to make a statement and gain attention from both politicians and everyday citizens who can join the cause and help make change!

Check out more information here: https://eaglenews.org/news/fgcu-participates-in-climate-change-rally/

Photo Credits: EN Photo by Raphaella Matta. Marchers at the climate change rally at FGCU.

Companies like LUSH Cosmetics also made a statement by closing their stores to participate in the wide spread climate strike and sending out emails explaining why they where doing so. #ClimateStrike

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This tumblr will be focusing on the Earth Charter’s pillar 1, principle 4 included below. The purpose of this principle is to recognize the value of Earth for both current generations and future generations. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be posting about fun, eco-friendly activities for children and important take aways from this principle in the Earth Charter. I will also be participating in most of the activities I post about and sharing blog posts reflecting about these activities!

4. Secure Earth's bounty and beauty for present and future generations.

a. Recognize that the freedom of action of each generation is qualified by the needs of future generations.

b. Transmit to future generations values, traditions, and institutions that support the long-term flourishing of Earth's human and ecological communities.