Vision

So, the message is simple: remember, every day you live, you make an impact. Choose wisely.” -Jane Goodall

For every day of Earth Month 2024, we the people of Evergreen Academy Homeschool, will do one thing to actively RESIST climate change by choosing wisely what kind of impact we will make on that day. We will then try to continue to make all of those wise choices every day of the year. We will be drawing inspiration from the “7 R’s of Waste Management” (RETHINK, REFUSE, REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR, REGIFT, & RECYCLE), and Sir David Attenborough’s idea of taking RESPONSIBILITY for the health of our planet by RECONNECTING with nature and REWILDING the Earth.

Action

Here’s what we did this April:
1. RETHINK: Happy April Fools’ Day! We hid our parents’ coffee this morning and then made artist trading cards that informed our parents about how unsustainable coffee is. We got them to RETHINK their choice of warm beverage.

2. REDUCE: We started sprouting locally purchased seeds in mason jars to REDUCE our purchase of greens packaged in plastic at the grocery store.

3. RECONNECT: Happy Birthday, Jane Goodall! You inspired us to get outside and RECONNECT with our local pond ecosystem by watching for signs of amphibians and reptiles reawakening this spring. We also watched for litter and removed it from the trail.

4. REDUCE: We REDUCED our household water consumption by making posters that remind us to: 1) always turn off the tap when brushing teeth or scrubbing face
2) cool water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap cold
3) if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down…

5. REFUSE: Happy International Day of Conscience! We listened to our consciences today and REFUSED to buy expensive junk food or take-out foods packaged in single-use plastics. Instead we prepped affordable, sustainable snacks and lunches together. We also set up a monthly donation to the World Food Programme with the money we will save.

6. RESPONSIBILITY: We noticed most of the snow had melted and left a mess behind, so we took on the RESPONSIBILITY of cleaning up our neighbourhood. Keeping the environment healthy is healthy for us too, on this World Health Day! (We even found a piece of litter worth $5).

7. REDUCE: We went to the bulk food store with clean containers and mesh bags of all sizes to REDUCE our purchase of foods in plastic packaging. We saved 15% because of “Sustainable Sundays” at Bulk Barn.

8. RECONNECT & RESPONSIBILITY: Dark Sky Week was coming to a close, so we RECONNECTED with the sky by watching the partial solar eclipse together and then watching the documentary “Saving the Dark.” We took on the RESPONSIBILITY of turning all household and yard lights out at night to help wildlife avoid the effects of light pollution.

9. RECONNECT: It’s World Wildlife Week, we RECONNECTED with our local heritage trail that is full of fauna. We found evidence of a Canadian Lynx and saw our first butterflies of the season! We vowed to always remove litter from nature whenever we find it, to protect the wildlife that live there.

10. REDUCE: Happy Siblings Day! We siblings helped with spring cleaning and REDUCED food waste by cleaning out the pantry and taking in a box of unused food to the local food bank before it spoiled.

11. REPAIR: Happy Pet Day! We played a game of animal/doll hospital and REPAIRED broken toys with colourful bandages made of hockey tape. Our little sisters enjoyed caring for the injured toy animals very much!

12. REDUCE: Today we challenged each other to a competition to see who could REDUCE their energy use the most by turning off lights and electronics over the next week. We kept a tally, and the winner will get a sustainable prize! (Update: Piper won with 94 switches flicked, we received a new cli-fi e-book to read together!)

13. RECONNECT & RESPONSIBILITY: To celebrate International Plant Appreciation Day, we got outside and RECONNECTED with our neighborhood walking path by counting crocuses. We counted 62! We took RESPONSIBILITY by making sure to never ride our bikes off-trail where we could risk disrupting the ecosystem. We also collected another whole bag of trash… more room for flowers to bloom!

14. REWILD: Today, we began to REWILD our backyard by drawing plans for our “Miniature Meadow.” We installed an insect hotel and purchased seeds for native flower species that thrive in our sandy soil. (May Update: The “Miniature Meadow” is planted. Now we, and the insect residents of “Insectia’s Inn,” get to watch it grow!)

15. RETHINK & REUSE: We REUSED a large piece of cardboard to make a canvas for creating a scene of native flower species. Then, we placed it in our front window as a “spill board” with the message: “Biodiversity is Beautiful: Plant Prairie Flowers,” to help passersby RETHINK what they are planting in their yards this spring

16. RETHINK & REDUCE & REUSE: In honour of Fashion Revolution Week, we reorganized our closets into minimalist wardrobes. This gave us the chance to RETHINK and REDUCE our purchase of fast fashion by only having what we need and only purchasing sustainable additions in the future. We donated a basket of our unused clothes to a local thrift store charity, so that they can be REUSED.

17. REWILD: It’s Bat Appreciation Day! To continue REWILDING our backyard we installed a bird bath with a solar powered fountain to attract fauna like bats and birds. We researched and purchased seeds of native night-blooming flowers to attract bats and moths to the “Midnight Garden” part of our “Miniature Meadow.” We also chose not to rake the yard this spring, because the debris provides shelter for insects and plants.

18. RESPONSIBILITY: Today we researched and signed letters to send to the Manitoba government through the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Manitoba Division. It was awesome to find out that as children we can take RESPONSIBILITY by letting the government know we are paying attention to their choices. We signed a letter urging the government to protect 30% of Manitoba as wilderness by 2030, and one thanking the people who are protecting the Seal River Watershed and reminding the government that the watershed still needs them to continue taking action.

19. RECONNECT & RESPONSIBILITY: We played a special session of Dungeons & Dragons today while RECONNECTING with a hike in our local forest. During the session our characters learned how to take RESPONSIBILITY by knowing the procedures to follow if you find injured wildlife or witness a wildfire.

20. REWILD: Happy International Cli-Fi Day! We are reading “The Last Year of the Wild” by Lizzie Pepper, which gives birds and other animals a voice as they realize that us “beings” are destroying their habitats. We continued to REWILD our backyard today by researching how to make our yard a healthy habitat for birds. Our only missing piece was shelter, so we hung a nesting box and set out a pile of nesting supplies. (May Update: a house sparrow made her nest in our bird box, the baby birds wake up early and sing us a lovely song!)

21. RETHINK & REFUSE & REUSE: Today is World Creativity and Innovation Day so… we challenged our parents to get creative and RETHINK all of the non-food items they buy at the grocery store, like cleaning and hygiene products. How many plastic bottles can they REFUSE to buy by picking an innovative non-plastic product? How many plastic bottles can they REUSE by refilling them? If they reach a total of ten in the next ten days, we will give them a sustainable prize! (Update: they did it and we set up a sustainable tea date for them to enjoy!)

22. REDUCE & RESPONSIBILITY: Happiest Earth Day to all!!! Today we REDUCED food waste by marinating banana peels and frying them up as… “zero-waste bacon!” We ate a delicious sustainable brunch of oil-free plant-based pancakes, tofu “eggs” and banana peel “bacon.” Then, we did our traditional Earth Day trash walk, taking RESPONSIBILITY for the cleanliness of our community by collecting litter all around town (in the rain). To finish off the Earth Day party and celebrate the rainy season, we watched a cli-fi anime film called “Weathering With You.”

23. REDUCE: We hung many new laundry lines in the backyard and basement today, to REDUCE energy use by hang drying our clothes and REDUCE our need to replace clothing by caring for it gently. Laundry lines are also great for fort making, we made a happy place to read because today is World Book Day!

24. REPAIR & RECYCLE: We continued to honour the fashion revolution by REPAIRING two clothing items we purchased at the thrift store. The broken purse got a new braided strap made of 100% RECYCLED fibre yarn, and the over-sized tank became a fabulous no-sew dress.

25. RECONNECT & RESPONSIBILITY: We created a cli-fi story generator game called “Cli-Fi Cubes.” We used clip art to create a set of 8 printable paper dice. During the game, we RECONNECTED with memories of our favourite habitats to explore, all with a fantastical twist. Our characters took RESPONSIBILITY for the effects of a climate disaster by coming up with a way to RESIST!

26. REUSE & RESPONSIBILITY: We REUSED old art work to create an art gallery for birds on our large kitchen window. We took RESPONSIBILITY for the safety of our feathered friends, letting them know it is unsafe to fly into the window by covering it with art!

27. REFUSE & REUSE: We REFUSED to do our math work and class notes on new pieces of paper by making a scrap paper pad out of REUSED pieces of paper with lots of empty space still left on them.

28. RECONNECT: We RECONNECTED with our local forest today on a hunt for invasive species of plants. We found Siberian Squill, Caragana and Dutch White Clover growing in places where native plants are now failing to take root. We will remember to always plant native species, since they are naturally beautiful! We helped nature stay beautiful by always picking up litter.

29. RESPONSIBILITY: Happy Canadian Children’s Book Week! We took on the RESPONSIBILITY to defend our backyard insects by creating an infographic-comic based on the art in Canadian author, Elise Gravel’s, “The Bug Club.” Our Dad hung the infographic up at his work where his co-workers had been asking him: “why would you want insects around in your garden…” because bugs are the best, of course!

30. REDUCE& RECONNECT & RESPONSIBILITY: On our final day of the project, we RECONNECTED with our backyard habitat by starting a birding/wildlife journal (we REDUCED our footprint by using a sustainable refillable art journal). We will post our birding findings on e-bird.org. Birding is a way for citizen scientists to take RESPONSIBILITY for their local habitats by observing a class of creatures that are literally living signals for habitat health… birds! Another way we are helping the birds is by observing “No Mow May,” beginning tomorrow. Not mowing in early spring protects the insects that many birds eat and also gives native perennials a chance to wake up peacefully!

Reflection & Celebration

REMEMBER: We will try to REMEMBER to choose wisely what kind of impact we are making, every day.