Stewardship
What Does Stewardship Mean to Us?
At Northern Rockies Nature Journaling, stewardship is at the heart of our mission. We believe in using nature journaling as a way to inspire individuals to care for and protect the environment. We can’t appreciate the beauty of nature without actively contributing to its preservation, which is why we want to have a highlighted focus on stewardship. As people engage with nature and with each other, we hope to inspire lasting stewardship that will benefit the environment we all share.
This Month’s Stewardship’s Focus:
Saving Water!
Why Is Saving Water Important?
Have you ever thought about how much water we use everyday? It’s an essential and necessary part of all our lives, which is why every drop of water we save helps protect our environment and future generations. Freshwater is not unlimited, and with rising demand and unpredictable weather patterns, it’s more important than ever to use it wisely. Droughts/water shortages are becoming more and more frequent, energy consumption is skyrocketing over the country, rivers/wetlands are at high risk, and it is up to all of us to do our part. By making small changes, we can help prevent shortages and keep our ecosystem healthy. Let’s work together to ensure clean water remains available for our families and communities for years to come!
Tips On How to Conserve Water:
Turn off taps.
This one is simple, but it’s really handy! When in the kitchen or bathroom, often we don’t notice the faucet running while we’re busy with other stuff but this month (and moving forward) make it a habit to double-check the faucet is off.
Take shorter showers.
I know this one is hard, especially in these cold winter months, but cutting down your shower time even by a few minutes can add up to a lot of saved water over the week. Plus, it’ll help with the water bill!
Only run full loads of the washing machine and dishwasher.
Waiting until you have enough dishes or clothes to fill your machine may seem small, but it maximizes efficiency and reduces water waste. This simple change can save hundreds of gallons of water overtime, and uses less energy overall.
Spread the word!
The more people who practice water conservation, the bigger the impact! Share tips with family, friends, and neighbors to be mindful about water use in your community.
How to Incorporate Water Conservation in Your Nature Journal:
Use water-based markers and paints consciously and clean brushes in a jar of reused water instead of running under a tap to minimize water use when using art materials. It works just as well and cuts down on waste!
Understand water availably in your area by keeping an eye on local plants. Noticing wilting or curling leaves? That might be a sign of water stress in your area. Track rainfall in your journal to learn how your environment changes over time.
More Resources
More Resources
Interested in learning more about how to be a good environmental steward?
Check out these websites for more info!
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/
Use this to get informed, find volunteer opportunities, take online action, or donate! Check out their “Research” page! They have articles on any environmental issue you’re interested in to learn more about what can be done.
While this website is intended as a resource for teaching environmental studies, it still offers so many resources that anyone can utilize. Learn about their initiatives (with articles, quizzes, toolkits, etc.) and see what action you can take.
https://earth911.com/category/
On this site, you can listen to podcasts, read “featured courses”, learn how to live sustainably, and take action all in one place! Most importantly, they have so many tips to offer on how to be better stewards; you’ll definitely be able to implement something in your daily life.