A cheeky look at the Australian Government’s Environment & Energy website tells us that, “Biodiversity Month is held in September each year and aims to promote the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world.”
What is “biodiversity”? Biodiversity can be described as the “web of life”, or in other words it encompasses all living things on our planet and the environment in which those things live. From a young age it is important for children to learn how to take care of their environment and how their environment, in turn, takes care of them.
So with that in mind, here are a few activities you can do with the children in your life:
- Create a natural habitat in your backyard. Look at plants that are native to your region and help create a backyard sanctuary for local birds and wildlife.
- Get rid of weeds. What seems like a perfectly harmless plant can turn into a noxious weed if it jumps your back fence and heads into bushland.
- Start your own compost bin. Organic matter like vegetable peelings which usually ends up landfill is great for your garden. Start composting and you can reduce the need for chemicals and fertilizers in the garden and improve the health of your soil.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle. Look at ways to reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill and the waterways. Many things can now be recycled. Set up a recycling regimen to teach them the difference between waste and recyclable materials, or collect bottles for recycling and return them to the bottle machines for $0.10/ bottle!
- Only put water down the drains. Things like oils and chemicals may start at the kitchen sink but end up in our waterways and seas and can affect animals and plants living in streams and rivers. Instead of using commercial cleaning chemicals try using white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.
- Be a responsible pet owner. Cleaning up your pet’s waste materials in public and disposing of them correctly. It’s never to early to learn. Oh, and please don’t ever flush your pet goldfish down the drain.
Games you can play:
- Finding 10 different flowers or plants in the garden, and then identifying them
- Identifying insects, birds, bugs, or other animals in their natural environment
- Plant some seedlings with cotton wool to sprout, or create a “chia” pet/person to learn about how plants grow
- Read or watch Dr Suess’s The Lorax (Currently available on Netflix if you are a subscriber). The Lorax teaches valuable lessons about why we need to care for the environment
- After watching, create a new plant pot based on The Lorax and then plant a new tree, example available by clicking here
We truly hope that you enjoy taking part in Biodiversity Month, and enjoy making some small changes to benefit the environment for our futures.
At Angel’s Paradise Early Education Childcare Centres, we enjoy teaching children the importance of our roles in environmental preservation.