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Eco-friendly Practices

Time Well-Spent: Eco-friendly Hobbies

One doesn’t have to be a field professional to make a positive impact on the biodiversity conservation cause. Simply getting involved through a worthwhile hobby could also go a long way in making a difference.

One doesn’t have to be a field professional to make a positive impact on the biodiversity conservation cause. Getting involved through a worthwhile hobby could go a long way in making a difference.

Gardening

Putting up and taking care of your own garden is a great way to start giving back to the Earth. By making your own backyard home to its own ecosystem of flora and fauna, you’ll also establish a real connection with natural life -- something that could further flourish into a deeper passion and spur you to greater action, too!

Explore the great outdoors

(FPE/Jason Marges)

Looking for a more adventurous pastime? Step out and get to know nature first-hand! Try going on a hike up a mountain or explore an entirely different world by diving underwater. You could even simply just enjoy breathing in some fresh air while breaking a healthy sweat on a bike ride. Just be mindful that you don’t cause any damage or do something irresponsible (like littering) wherever you choose to go.

Nature photography

(FPE/Jason Marges)

If you’re the type who loves snapping up photos and sharing them on online social networks, why not try bird photography? Or capture the intricate beauty of insects and thousands of other tiny creatures with stunning macro shots? Or maybe unravel the majesty of thriving natural landscapes?

However you choose to go about it, making nature the subject of your photography will help you discover just how rich our homegrown biodiversity is. You might even spot a species or two that could be of interest to the scientific community.

Arts and crafts

Think your house is a mess? You don’t have to dispose of all of your unused and unwanted stuff lying around. With a little imagination and resourcefulness, you can try repurposing them into handy little DIY home solutions or get creative and furnish home-made works of art! Not only do you cut down on waste, you also get to express yourself -- and maybe blow off some steam from time to time.

Bettery yet, be eco-friendly through your creative side by channeling your advocacy through it! Just like the Dolphins Love Freedom Movement and Artists for Nature! That highway-long wall mural or that concert-for-a-cause you're checking out over the weekend? Those just might be their handiwork.

Weekend volunteering

(FPE/Jason Marges)

If you’re the more flexible, anything-goes type of person, you can also try seeking out various environment-oriented volunteer opportunities, even if only on weekends. There is always plenty of ways to contribute to the cause, whether it’s a tree/mangrove-planting activity, a coastal cleanup session, or a field trip in the park or natural museum for street kids. Either way, there’s no better feeling than having spent a lazy weekend doing something worthwhile.

 

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When you engage in activities like these often enough and with enough sincerity and passion, your family and friends might also catch on and follow suit. Who knows what massive ripple effects (positive ones, we would hope, of course) a humble little hobby could create on your community, your town, and so on?