Go green: Save our planet. Photo: K. Ananthan
Let Mother Nature be your best friend this holiday season. Indulge in some of these great activities to get to know her better: The holidays are here! Why not do something different this time? That does not mean you need to miss out on the festivities. You just need to strike a balance and do your bit by creating awareness. These are activities that you could do in groups where you not only get to spend time with friends, but also learn how to increase the green cover around you.
Herbs: Grow your own.
One Tree For Free: This is probably the easiest of the lot. Pick up a few saplings.You could go in groups or by yourself. Plant a tree in your house and then walk over to other houses in your locality. Plant a sapling for them, offer to water the plant for them, at least for the next 10 days and take care of it. Make sure you donate five trees a day. Within 10 days,you would have planted nearly 250 trees.
Learn how to increase the green cover around you. Photo: Vipin Chandran
Let’s Get Messy: This one is sure to cheer you up. For all the times you mother screamed at you for making a mess or getting dirty, she probably won’t mind it this time around. Form a group and start cleaning the stretch of road near your house. Take a re-usable cover to collect garbage that’s not bio-degradable (meaning things which decomposes naturally). Make sure you dispose the trash in the right place. Cover small areas and you could also put together make-shift dustbins and leave one for people to use.
Plant it: Start small to make a big impact. Photo: K.R.Deepak
Take A Walk: Tree walk can be your mantra this season, and tell all your friends to do the same. This is an early morning activity, so, make sure you’re up and about early. If you are heading the group, take the walk a few days before and note all the interesting sights. Find out more about the trees in your neighbourhood. This will help you during the group activity. Other than explaining about the tree, don’t forget to list out five unique things about that particular tree — it will make the walk more interesting.
Walk with me: In touch with nature. Photo: M. Karunakaran
Winged Visitors: Are there any water bodies near your house? This is a good place to spot birds. Play “Spot the Bird” with your friends. Read up on the most common birds in your area. Give clues about the birds you spot, while the others take a guess. Also, discuss and share your knowledge about the birds.
Green Patch: A fun activity with which you can surprise your mother is gifting her a green patch. Share seeds and discuss ideas on how to make it look greener and better with friends. From beans to carrots, you could even have your own herb garden on your apartment balcony. All you need are some unused trays or buckets, seeds and mud. Decide on how you want it to look and then start sowing.
Raise The Bar: Now that you have done your bit, you also need to share these ideas and tell everyone around you about the importance of preserving nature. Make charts, pointers, come up with a skit, organise a small walk and take this chance to raise awareness. You could also involve your parents at this level to organise a small gathering. Prepare goals and conduct meetings once in 15 days to review what has been done. This will be your way of maintaining the green balance in your locality.