Environment

Current events:

  • Old towels and sheets are urgently needed for the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital.  Please contact the Outdoor Activities Team for details

Environmental References and Sources of Information

 

Environmental Challenge

We all have a responsibility to look after our world before we pass it into the care of our children and grandchildren. Are we going to leave it in a worse state than it is in now? Take up the ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE and help to improve the world that we live in.

There are three sections to be completed. Each section has one task for the whole unit and then a choice from which each individual needs to do 3 clauses, either on her own or with her group. The level of work expected should be appropriate to the age and ability of the participants.

SECTION A: WASTE DISPOSAL AND RECYCLING

Unit task

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
Discuss this as a Unit and work out ways that everyone can implement this slogan.
Find out what local facilities are available and use them as much as possible. Hopefully at the end of this the members of the unit and their families will continue to make a significant positive impact by using this slogan.

Individual options (choose 3):

  • Make a poster to remind your family to follow the 3Rs slogan.
  • Visit a household waste recycling centre. www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/recycle will tell you where your nearest one is.
  • If you have a suitable garden, set up a compost heap for your vegetable and garden waste.
  • Look out for, and use, special opportunities to recycle e.g. Christmas cards, collections for charity shops, Lincs. South guiding’s own collection of old towels and sheets for the RSPCA wildlife hospital.
  • Spring clean your wardrobe and toy cupboard and apply the 3Rs to the things you no longer use.
  • Make something useful using only things that will be thrown away.
  • Make a plan of how to wrap all your festive presents in an attractive way using the minimum of packaging materials. Try to use materials which can be reused or recycled afterwards.
  • Find out about how electricity and heat can be made from waste. Does this have practical advantages over landfill?

SECTION B: NATURAL RESOURCES

Unit task

Generation of energy from fossil fuels is expensive and uses up scarce resources. Consider your use of energy at home and identify ways to use energy more efficiently and to reduce wastage, e.g. look at insulation, draught excluders, energy efficient appliances, reduction in wasted energy caused by electrical appliances on stand by. Get everyone to do something to reduce their home energy wastage on a long term basis. Water is also a resource which is in short supply - try to improve the management of water use in your home.

Individual options (choose 3):

  • Research alternative “green” forms of energy - what are they and how practical are they on a commercial scale?
  • Make a poster to remind you family to switch off lights when leaving the room and not to leave electrical appliances on “stand by”.
  • Look at your meeting place and work out how it could be made more efficient in its energy use.
  • Using a cardboard frame and a thin tissue make a draught detector. Use it to identify where you can reduce the draughts and keep more heat in the room. (Be aware that gas appliances and boilers need a suitable air intake). Apply your results e.g. by making a draught excluder or another practical item.
  • Work out where low-energy light bulbs could be used to save energy.
  • Find a building that has some form of renewable energy e.g. solar panels, a wind turbine, uses geothermal heat source or find a builder or architect who can show you some practical uses of renewable energy.
  • Help the adult members of your family research the possibilities of collecting the rain water from the roof of your home and storing it to use for watering the garden or washing the car.
  • Read your water, electric or gas meter at the beginning and end of a week. In the second week see how much less energy or water you can use. Explain what you did to reduce the use. Keep up the good ideas.

SECTION C: THE LIVING WORLD

Unit task

As a result of the world’s unbalanced energy use and the high levels of carbon dioxide emissions, a huge problem is developing. Green plants use carbon dioxide and in turn produce oxygen which helps to redress some of these problems. All living creatures are part of food chains, starting with plants and so are affected by these issues.
As a unit find a tree, bush or a small garden area near your meeting place and keep a diary of its natural history over the four seasons including a diary of plant growth and records of any minibeasts, birds and animals found.

Individual options (choose 3):

  • Go for a nature walk or visit a nature reserve (many have “open days” with experts at hand) Organisations such as the Lincolnshire Trust and RSPB will have useful information.
  • Make insect homes and place them in a suitable location to encourage insect life.
  • Provide a bird bath in your garden and make sure it ALWAYS has water and is kept clean to avoid the spread of disease.
  • Research suitable food for different birds and make bird feeders. If you start this you must keep it up otherwise the birds will suffer.
  • Look for signs of the seasons changing using plants, birds, insects and other wildlife observations.
  • Make a butterfly feeder to attract insects for you to study.
  • Learn the Country Code and abide by it when you are out and about. Make a poster or write a poem to tell others about the code.
  • Grow a plant from a seed or a bulb. It can be a flower bulb or herbs on a windowsill, flowers or vegetables in the garden, or a tree which will need planting out in a suitable site when it gets older.
  • Join in a practical conservation project e.g. the Hautbois HATS weekend, a BTCV project, a Woodland Trust project, an Action Projects Team event at the next Poacher camp or any local opportunity.
  • Devise a game to help others become more environmentally aware.

Click here for the Environmental Challenge Badge order form.

 

 

Lincoln Imp