Here at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, we are always looking for ways to be more sustainable and limit the impact on the environment.
Visitors who have completed our trail booklet will have found signage around our site explaining how we take in old towels for the hospital, recycle newspaper in our overnight bird boxes, collect rainwater to water the gardens and use cut branches as perches in our aviaries.
To celebrate Great Big Green Week, running between the 18th and 26th September, we’ve written this blog with our top tips on how to be more Green.
Plant a tree or sow a wildflower meadow - These are not only very green ideas, but will benefit people and wildlife too! Trees not only provide a home for many species, including Owls, but they store carbon from the atmosphere, provide shade on warm days and help soak up surface water when it rains. Wildflowers look (and smell) amazing, which attracts lots of pollinators like bees, beetles and butterflies. This in turn attracts animals that feed on these insects, moving up the food chain to our apex predators like Kestrels and Barn Owls.
Save water - Turning the tap off when brushing your teeth can save up to 200 gallons of water a month! Try taking a five minute shower - choose your favourite song (or two) and challenge yourself to get clean before the song finishes! And to be extra green, why not use the “grey” water to water the garden or house plants? Whilst we don’t often experience water shortages here in the UK, with increasing temperatures due to climate change, there is a high risk that in the future this may become more of an issue for us.
Leave the car at home - During the national lockdowns last year, people around the world were sharing how happy they felt to be able to walk around with less traffic on the roads, discovering new places easily overlooked when whizzing past in a car. Now that restrictions have lifted, everyone has jumped back in their cars, which has had a massive impact on our wildlife! If you can, walk or cycle to school, work or social events. This is not only fantastic for the environment, but will also improve your own health, as it is recommended by the NHS we should be doing 150 minutes of exercise every week. If you need to travel longer distance, try using public transport or car-sharing.
Eat seasonally - Whilst supermarket shopping has become the norm for most of us, it can be hard to know what produce is “in season” as we’re used to being able to buy whatever we want, whenever we want it! Try visiting your local farmers market or farm shop to discover locally produced food that is in season right now! Growing your own is also a great way of learning the value of food, and it tastes amazing too!
Reduce plastics - Most people are now used to taking their own bags when they go shopping, but you can do even more. Why not take a reusable drinks bottle or coffee cup to use when you’re out of the house for the day? If you’re out buying a drink, say no to a straw or cutlery (you can take your own from home) and help raise awareness about the impact of single use plastics in the environment.
