As you may know, Protecting the Environment is the 7th Area of Focus for Rotary International (RI). We know that there are many conflicting views on global warming and other environmental impacts of the daily lives of the world’s population.
I am not going to get into those deep topics but let’s consider some simple steps we can take as individuals or in our clubs. We are aware of the fact that trees help create cleaner air along with many other factors that help create a nicer environment. Shade from a tree is nice in the summer and can also help with lowering the temperature within our communities. So, what if we joined together as Rotarians and planted some trees. This small act will have lasting impacts.
April is also the time we start thinking about planting our gardens. When deciding what to plant and how much to plant, consider what you might be able to do with your excess crops. I know from experience that many of our neighbors hide when they see us coming for the 5th time with more zucchini squash than we can use. Maybe we should coordinate with our neighbors on who is going to grow and share what veggies. If not, that is there somewhere in your local community where you can take your excess crops. Is there a way your club can get involved with a local community garden to help grow foods to be used by those in need?
Did you get a chance to read the articles in the April edition of the Rotary Magazine? There are some great ideas on ways to prevent food waste. The article talks about ways we can as individuals take steps to help with food waste through good planning. Interesting that the side article talked about a school program called ‘Lunch Out of Landfills’ that our very own Laurie Zuckerman, Rotary Club of Boise, introduced us to a couple of years back at our district conference. Is this a project your club might be interested in? If your club has a meal as a part of your meeting, are you able to donate the leftovers to a homeless shelter or other non-profit organization? It is a great way to share with those who may be food insecure. I understand that some facilities do not allow it due to concerns of liability.
The last thing I want to discuss for the month of April is about trash and recycling. I know that many clubs in our district do service projects where they clean up roadsides or walkways such as the greenbelt in Boise and other communities. Do you and your club ensure you can recycle what you can instead of sending all of the trash to the landfills? If your community does not have a robust recycling program think about how your club can get involved to help. It could be as simple as partnering with your parks and recreation department to provide recycle binds or cans.
There are so many aspects of the environmental area of focus we have not touched on. This is a link to an RI brochure on our 7 areas of focus including the environment. Check it out for more ideas and ways to be involved. | My Rotary
Thank you for considering any of these ideas to help create lasting changes in our communities.
