Ways to Enact Actions for the Climate

How can we motivate ourselves to create new habits that make us feel good AND help the planet?

If it feels difficult to act on things that feel abstract, too large to solve, or don’t have immediate benefits, you are not alone – it is part of the human condition.

Research on human behaviour suggests that people tend to forgo long-term net benefit (for the individual or collective good) for immediate gratification. This is known as hyperbolic discounting. Examples include procrastinating while writing a report or giving into dessert while on a diet. Another example, which will be the focus of this post, is not taking the action needed to reduce our carbon footprint despite the negative impacts of climate change looming.

We are already experiencing the effects of climate change – floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires are impacting us and communities across the globe. We know from modelled projections that what we are currently experiencing is the tip of the (melting) iceberg if we do not start taking action. So, how can we shift our decision-making process to take immediate meaningful action?

Behavioural science research helps us understand how we make decisions and what influences our behaviour. For example, there are small adjustments or ‘nudges’ that can affect our decisions when we least expect it. Through 'choice architecture' or, in other words, organizing the context in which people make decisions, options can be presented in specific ways that can nudge our behaviour (for better or worse when marketers are trying to sell us things!). Research has shown that you can encourage healthier eating through the strategic placement of food items. The closer a healthy item was displayed at a cafeteria (i.e., vegetables right in front of you at the beginning of the line, with junk food in the back) the more likely people were to take it. If nudges are applied in a way that influences people to choose the more environmentally friendly option, it could be a great way to make progress towards reducing emissions. For example, a restaurant could structure its menu to encourage customers to eat more plant-based meals. Check out the book Nudge that dives into this strategy as a way to influence certain behaviours.

How we think about climate change and the environment can influence how we act. See the sections below for how we can apply lessons learned from this discipline to help us enact climate change action.

Below are some behavioural-change strategies to try out:

Focus on everyday small manageable actions

“In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.”

-David Suzuki

Individual actions CAN make a difference. The Climate Institute says a great place to start is with things like transportation, diet, and power usage at home.

There are many ways we can do our part while we are stewards on this earth (with long-standing benefits for future generations!) – take a look at our Tool Kit for some ideas to get started.

For example, taking steps like reducing your electricity use, reducing your waste, and eliminating toxins and contaminants from your cleaning products can reduce the cumulative stress on the environment and the species that depend on it (hint: including us!).

By improving the products we use in our households we can reduce the amount of detrimental toxins that enter our waterways. And if we take the steps to be a greener boater, we can reduce the impacts we have on vital ecosystems (that are also carbon sinks) such as eelgrass meadows – helping to continue to function as habitat as well as providing ecosystem services to coastal communities.

Shift Habitual Behaviours – Re-set your habits

Most of us are now in the habit of bringing reusable shopping bags every time we go to the grocery store, while just a few years ago this action was on few people's radar. We can do the same thing with produce bags, a water bottle, or your coffee mug. You can also get into the habit of unplugging your devices after use or using a clothesline to dry your clothes instead of using the dryer. These are simple steps that once you do it a few times, it will become second nature!

Try habit stacking - Building a habit can be tough, but if we use other habits as a base, we can stack new ones on top to build a new routine more easily. For example, you might want to start bringing a reusable coffee mug to reduce waste created by single use cups. If you already have a habit of packing your lunch for work the night before, you can put your reusable mug in the fridge with your lunch so it is all ready to go in the morning. Habit stacking such as this can help us make small changes that make a big difference.

Make Yourself Accountable – Strategies to make your intentions stick

Commit to a goal by sharing it with a friend – What is something that feels important to you? For example, let’s say you want to reduce your dependence on your vehicle and reduce your emissions. Create a goal (you can start small) and tell someone that is close to you. Here’s a helpful form to get you started! For instance, you may choose to ride your bike to work 3 out of 5 days a week instead of driving. By telling a friend, it helps us feel more accountable and more likely to stick to it.

Create a Buddy System – You can strengthen your goal setting and follow-through by creating a buddy system. We hold ourselves and each other more accountable when we do it together. Even if you live in different towns, you can send one another a photo of your commute to work each day. This will also motivate your partner to keep at their goal!

Encourage yourself with Positive Reinforcement

Tracking your progress - Posting your progress somewhere you will see it on a regular basis, such as on your fridge, can help encourage you to continue with your goals.

For example, you can mark on your calendar when you bike to work each week and then plot it in a simple graph. You will be able to visualize how you are reducing your reliance on your car over time.

You can even take it a step further and determine the cost of your daily commute in gas and wear and tear – often calculated around $0.61 per km – and work out how much you are saving each month – treat yourself at your local ice cream shop (or whatever motivates you) with the money you saved!

Another good example is receiving feedback on your energy usage – because it can positively impact your behaviour. Home energy reports and real-time feedback are helping us visualize our energy usage at home in a way that can encourage positive action. Some reports even show typical usage during the day, and when it would be more cost-efficient to use things like washing machines. These reports often show you a graph of your energy usage for the previous months and across seasons. By tracking our usage, it can help us identify trends in our use and where we may be able to improve it – awareness of our progress can be very motivating.

Neighbourly Competition - Social norm comparisons help encourage more positive behaviours as well – you can think of it as friendly competition with your neighbours. Research has shown that home energy reports that incorporate behavioural science strategy in their design can help you save money and be gentler on the planet, this includes adding energy savings tips and charts displaying your neighbour’s energy usage in comparison to yours into the report design.

Think about our ‘future selves’

One way to combat hyperbolic discounting, and our tendencies to choose convenient options over the more responsible ones is to think about long-term gain. Research suggests that the more we think about our future selves, the more likely we will make more considered decisions (Sheffer 2016).

Invest in the future -This could look like planting trees on your property now so you can enjoy shade and cooler temperatures in 10 years, whilst also helping to sequester carbon. Or purchasing more expensive but efficient appliances or installing solar energy for your home, knowing that the investment will be seen in 5-10 years, with a reduction in environmentally intensive resources and lower energy bills.

Think of what you value - Another angle to motivate yourself is to consider the activities you can enjoy today that will be lost in the future if high carbon emissions continue. Would you like to take your grandchildren fishing or skiing on your local hill? Do you love eating wild salmon or is seeing glaciers in the national parks on your bucket list? Use those thoughts to inspire yourself into action.

Setting Defaults

Set yourself up with sustainable default options - While they may take a bit of effort initially, default options are helpful because they reduce future effort and help ensure you make environmentally friendly decisions.

For example, create a bookmark on your computer that can provide easy access for ordering your groceries from a local farm each week or set up automatic order renewals. This small step of setting up an account, will help you streamline your grocery shopping process and stock your pantry and fridge at home with foods that have a lower carbon footprint. You can feel good knowing your food is coming from family-owned farms nearby, instead of being shipped from countries far away. Farms also have delivery services with their Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) boxes, set yourself up with a subscription for local seasonal produce delivered to your door!

Another example would be to install a programmable thermostat – once it’s set up, it will be easy to enact energy saving strategies. You can program your thermostat to a lower temperature while you are sleeping or at work. Having a schedule for your thermostat will minimize your need to tinker with it and, by default, reduce your energy usage.

Consider the Financial Benefits

Money is a great motivator - there are a number of actions that are better for the environment that are actually more cost effective than the traditional option. Here is a list, and I bet you can think of more!

Turning off the lights and devices when they are not in use.
Lowering your thermostat when you are sleeping and out of the house.
Eating less meat.
Being careful to reduce food waste.
Buying less, shopping at second hand stores, and repairing what you have.
Walking and riding your bike rather than relying on your car – cheaper and better for your health.
Washing your clothes on cold and hanging them to dry rather than the using the dryer.

Vote with the environment in mind!

While the focus of this post is on individual action, we do recognize that governments and industries have a crucial role in establishing policies to curb emissions. Long-term policies with teeth are needed to withstand an election cycle. Unfortunately, in many cases, political will suffers the same behavioural pit falls – favouring short-term gain (immediate boosts to the economy) at the expense of long-term goals (investing in expensive upfront costs for adaptation and mitigation) even though early action would come at less net cost. Therefore, as an individual, an important step is voting for candidates that support climate action. And it’s not just at the ballot box, vote with your dollar and support companies taking steps to reduce emissions.

By creating individual change we can empower others to do the same! You can set the stage with climate-positive behaviours that can rub off on others in your community.

Additional Resources

Center for Advanced Hindsight

Check out David Suzuki’s Top 10 ways to stop climate change.

Sheffer, C. E., Mackillop, J., Fernandez, A., Christensen, D., Bickel, W. K., Johnson, M. W., … & Mathew, M. (2016). Initial examination of priming tasks to decrease delay discounting. Behavioural Processes, 128, 144-152.

Williamson, K., Satre-Meloy, A., Velasco, K., & Green, K., 2018. Climate Change Needs Behavior Change: Making the Case For Behavioral Solutions to Reduce Global Warming. Arlington, VA: Rare.

Photo credit: Li An Lin Unsplash; Markus Spiske, Unsplash; Maria Catanzaro, Nicole Christiansen, Markus Spiske, Unsplash; Anete Lusina, Pexels; Nextbike, Unsplash.

Green Gardening - Supporting Biodiversity and Conserving Water

More tips to make your green thumb a little greener!

There are so many conscious choices you can make in your garden to have a positive impact that we've made multiple Tool Kit posts on the subject of eco-friendly gardening! In this one we focus on how you can support pollinators, water efficiently, and embrace our local conditions for less net impact.

Opt for Native Plants

Choosing plants that are native to your region can help reduce your need for fertilizers, pesticides, and watering. Native plants are adapted for our climate and soil, and therefore require less input of nutrients and are suited for our wet winters and dry summers. They also support our local biodiversity by ensuring critters, including native birds and insect pollinators, have access to the plants they have evolved with and depend on.

When planning where and what native species to plant in your garden, consider the light and water conditions of the spot and select accordingly for the best chance for successful establishment and long-term low maintenance. Experts at nurseries can help you identify the perfect plant and how to care for it as it becomes established. Our Planting a Native Garden Tool Kit has a map of nurseries that specialize in native species.

Water Efficiently

When it comes to watering your garden, it is important to be mindful of water usage, while maintaining plant health. Here are some ways to improve the efficiency of your watering routine.

Timing is everything. When the sun is out, water will evaporate quickly. Water your garden in the early morning or later in the evening to minimize evaporation.
Mulching also helps prevent evaporation, instead retaining moisture where it is easily available to your plants.
Harvest rain water and use it to water your garden. This also reduces stormwater runoff, win-win!
Plan the layout of your garden. Be mindful of what sections of the garden are shady/sunny, and plant appropriately. Some plants love direct sunlight, whereas others prefer partial sun.
Plant drought tolerant natives or ornamental plants like Rocky Mountain juniper, Euphorbia, Echinacea, and Yarrow.

Water the roots, not the leaves. Drip irrigation systems can help you deliver the water exactly where you want it to go, and in the right amount in comparison to a traditional sprinkler system. Not only does this provide hydration efficiently, but by not soaking the entire plant, it causes less disease. A slow release of water also allows the soil to soak up water better, preventing runoff from the soil surface.

Check you this video from the Capital Regional District on how to install different irrigation systems:

Go for Summer Gold!

If you have a lawn, let it go gold in the summer! In our climate of warm dry summers, maintaining a green summer lawn requires a huge input of water, just when we should be adhering to watering restrictions. With climate change and increasing demands on our water supply - it is ever more important to conserve. Letting your lawn dry out is a great way to cut back on water usage.

Did you know that grass naturally hibernates during the summer? There is no harm in letting your lawn turn golden for the summer months, you are working with the natural cycle of your lawn, and you will see it bounce back with the fall rains! So, let your grass have a rest over the summer and save water and you'll also save your self mowing in the summer heat! Check out this info sheet from the Capital Regional District for more Water Wise Lawn Care.

Support Pollinators with a Meadow Lawn

You may have heard of the slogan 'No-Mow May', but this pledge to stop mowing your lawn for the summer is an oversimplified solution and may cause more harm than good, as this article from Rewilding explains. In BC, non-native plant species are abundant, and the chances are that if you leave your lawn to grow over a few weeks, all that will come up will be non-native weedy species like dandelions and white clover. While you may notice that some bees do visit these flowers, they are not the best food sources for native pollinators. Did you know that dandelion pollen is actually a protein deficient food source, and can lead colonies of bees to feed on their own eggs to supplement their diets? Native flower pollen, on the other hand, offers balanced nutrients to sustain native pollinators, since the plants and pollinators would have evolved in the local ecosystem together. While the No-Mow May movement encourages the notion that messy lawns, rather than curated golf greens, are beautiful, we need to take this a step further to ensure that we are supporting our native pollinators. Rather, consider converting your lawn to a meadow!

Instead of a stark golf course lawn, why not use the space to support pollinators, fix nitrogen, manage runoff, and maintain diversity? West Coast Seeds offers different seed blends that you can try as a lawn alternative, including clovers, tall fescue, and even beautiful wildflowers. Watch your lawn space come alive with colour, texture and native bees and butterflies! Check out our Native Plants Tool Kit to learn more, and visit Sati n flower Nurseries for more info about meadow-making.

Bonus Fun Tip!

Solar lights

Your green garden can be bright and event-worthy, without adding to your energy bill! There are lots of options for solar powered lights to brighten up your patio space in the evening.

Photo credits: Mina-Marie Michell on Pexels; .Daniel Johnson on Pexels; Devolk on Pixabay.

Green Gardening - Managing Pests and Soil

If we treat our gardens as a natural, functioning system, we can avoid the use of harmful chemicals and still have healthy, thriving plants. Here are some tips on how to make your green thumb greener!

In this Tool Kit we offer suggestions that will help you avoid unnecessary pesticides and fertilizers, along with natural ways to maintain healthy soils.

Natural Pest Management

Insects are part of a healthy ecosystem – but in our gardens, we would prefer that some insects don’t snack on the broccoli and kale that we have grown for our dinner!

Integrated Pest Management is a holistic approach to pest management that focuses on pest prevention and treating the garden as a system. Remember that insects are a part of this system, so some level of pest damage should be acceptable. Crop rotation is an important principle of pest management, as it helps prevent pests from building up in the soil. Monitoring for pests is crucial. Notice where and how the pest is attacking the plant early on, then correctly identify the culprit. This will help pair the most appropriate treatment for the pest. For example, if you have a group of aphids on the leaves of a plant, a simple spray of the hose can wash them away. Biological controls are a good option before turning to chemical treatments. Biological control can involve the introduction of other insects or even animals! Chickens, for instance, can make quick work of a soil bed with wire worm. You can also include specific plants in your garden to attract beneficial insects. More on this below!

Companion Planting for Pest Control

Include plants that encourage helpful critters like lady bugs. Beneficial insects can be predatory – like green lacewings, ladybugs and hover flies, parasitoid – like certain kinds of wasps, or pollinating – like bees! And don’t forget spiders! Arachnids are especially helpful to have around in the summer time to keep your garden party mosquito-free!

There are many plants that can help attract these critters to your garden community. Nasturtiums, for example, are easy to grow, and produce brightly coloured edible flowers that attract pollinators. If you are having an issue with aphids, beetles or weevils in your veggie garden, consider planting nasturtiums as a companion plant – they attract those pest insects, distracting them and saving your precious kale and broccoli! Other plants that attract beneficial insects include: clover, chamomile, and sunflowers. Read more about supporting and attracting beneficial insects in your garden in this publication from Oregon State University, and check out West Coast Seeds’ Guide to Companion Planting.

Allelopathy is the phenomenon where naturally occurring chemicals in one plant prevent the growth of other particular plants nearby, and/or deter certain insects from coming near it. By planting potent herbs like catmint, chives or dill nearby your garden plots, you can deter many insect pests from coming anywhere near your crops! Borage specifically repels cabbageworm and tomato hornworm, so plant these brilliant purple flowers near your tomatoes and brassicas (cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc.) to add a natural layer of protection from these pests – not to mention, the bees will love it!

Opt for Natural Pesticides

Pesticides can be incredibly harmful. They can harm beneficial insects or wash off your property and impact insect life in streams which is a critical food source for salmon and other aquatic species. You can try these alternative solutions for managing common garden pests:

Diatomaceous earth, made of fossilized phytoplankton, is another measure way to protect your crops, and can be found at your local gardening shop. Diatoms are tiny creatures with shells made of silica – when dried and ground, this powder is like a layer of glass – which will keep away any soft-bodied pests such as slugs! If you can’t find diatomaceous earth, try sprinkling coffee grounds on the soil for a similar slug-repelling effect.
Try making your own beer slug trap! A simple DIY project using a can of cheap beer can be super effective at ridding slugs from your garden.
Neem oil is a great natural alternative to chemical pesticides. It is biodegradable, and safe for use around pets and animal wildlife in your garden, yet effective at deterring insect pests at each stage of their life cycle. To create a spray solution, mix 2 teaspoons of neem oil with one teaspoon of a mild soap such as Castile, with about one litre of water.
Other at-home concoctions use the principle of allelopathy. One effective plant spray, for example, is a blend of fresh garlic bulbs with water and a few drops of mild soap. Sprayed onto the leaves of your kale, for example, this mixture will deter any flea beetles from nibbling on your crops.
Make a insecticidal soap spray: Mix one and a half teaspoons of a gentle soap such as Castile soap with one liter of water, mix it up and spray onto the leaves of your crops for a safe and simple option that had broad usage.

Be sure to apply this concoction in the evening, rather than during the day so your soap spray does not evaporate in the sun. Applying the spray in the evening also helps to avoid impacting beneficial insects like pollinators, since they will be less active in the evening. Soap sprays effectively suffocate insect pests, working by coating their bodies, blocking the pores through which they breathe.

Visit this article by TreeHugger.com for more ideas of natural concoctions you can make at home to help deter unwanted insects in your garden. Plus, steer clear of chemical pesticides! Check out our Pesticides to Avoid Tool Kit article to learn more about which chemical pesticides should be avoided at all costs due to their impacts on salmon and other aquatic life.

Keeping out Larger Pests

Sometimes the pests are bigger and require other strategies for protection.

You can make your garden deer proof by surrounding individual shrubs and young trees with deer fencing, or install an angled (45 degrees) fence at least 6 feet high around your entire garden to keep deer out. A simple, inexpensive option is to string up deer netting around your yard, making sure to add flagging on the netting to prevent deer from walking into the nets and becoming entangled. Check out this article from the BC SPCA to learn more about fencing options to keep deer out of your garden. You can also choose garden plants with strong scents or fuzzy or prickly foliage that are naturally not as tasty to deer!

Fencing can also be effective for rabbits and rodents if the mesh is small enough. Another option is a deterrent spray to keep them off of the tender shoots in your garden. You can use cayenne pepper spray on the plants rabbit seem to enjoy most to help keep them away. Thankfully, this method also works at preventing deer from munching on your plants as well.

Deterrent cayenne Pepper Spray: Mix 2 tsps of cayenne powder or other hot pepper and combine that with 6-8oz of water. You can also add garlic powder in there for added benefit. Spray this around your garden on the plants you want to keep rabbits away from.

Check out this article from Seeds and Grains for more clever tricks to deter rabbits, including setting up motion activated sprinklers to spook them out of your garden.

Optimize Soil Health, the Natural Way

Use Crop Rotation to Manage Pests and Balance Soil Nutrients

Crop rotation, or the practice of changing the plant family growing in your garden plot each season, is a natural method to reduce issues with pests and balance the nutrient budget of your soil. Many veggie garden plants come from a few ‘families’ (e.g. closely related) and share common characteristics like rooting depth, soil pH preference, nutrient requirements, and specific pest and disease susceptibility. When a given family is planted in the same plot year after year, it depletes the soil of the nutrients it needs, leading to an imbalance in soil nutrients that would need to be remedied by the application of fertilizers. Switching up plant families allows the soil to recover and stay balanced in its nutrient composition. Some of the most common plant families in gardening and agriculture can be found in the pictures below.

Common veggie garden families:

**Brassicas**
(e.g. broccoli, cabbage, kale, mustard)

One common plant family is the Brassicas – or 'the cabbage family', which includes kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, cauliflower and cabbage. This family is a heavy feeder (requires lots of nutrients) and susceptible to cabbage root maggot, so after planting a bed of Brassicas one year, rotate to Legumes, which are not susceptible to the pest and have a symbiotic bacteria that fixes nitrogen around the roots to replenish the soil, then plant Alliums (onions and garlic) and Solunums (peppers, tomatoes) in that plot, then Umbellifers (carrots, parsley) and squash the next year. This is just one example of a four year crop rotation, but there are many other families to play around with to suit the size of your garden and tastes. The important factor is to make sure the same family of plants does not occupy the same space more than once every three or four years. Learn more about how to plan your garden with crop rotation in the Old Farmer’s Almanac Guide to Crop Rotation. To learn more about the different plant families and organic gardening, check out this book: Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest by Linda Gilkeson.

Protect Your Soil All Seasons

Looking after your soil will help you reduce the need for fertilizers and help your plants reach their full potential.

Use Cover Crops in the Off-Season

Don’t forget to plant a cover crop to protect your soil over the winter time! Cover crops are plants that are grown in the off seasons of agricultural crops, and are often hardy plants throughout the winter.

Try out red clover or fall rhye in your garden! Many cover crops like fava beans (a legume) and hairy vetch have the added benefit of fixing nitrogen into the soil, so come spring, you can turn that cover crop into the soil and plant your seeds directly in the nourished soil. Not only do cover crops prevent weeds from taking over your garden box in the absence of crops over winter, they are a key element in maintaining soil health over time. Cover crops can also attract pollinators and provide excellent habitat for beneficial insects like ground beetles.

Mulching

Another option to protect your soil over winter is to cover it with mulch. Mulch adds good organic material without much hassle. You can even use your plants as mulch! Once they are done for the season, pull them out of the soil and leave them on top – this provides nice cover to the soil, but only do so if the plants are not diseased! If there are deciduous trees on your property, consider making use of the leaves that fall from those trees in autumn by either leaving them on top of the grass, or using them as mulch in your garden beds to cover the soil over winter.

The benefits of mulching your garden beds with leaves:

protects the soil from the heavy rains throughout the winter
provides insect habitat and food source
helps suppress weedy species
improves soil fertility by decomposing on site
prevents compaction
helps regulate soil temperature (and warmer soil leads to increased microbial activity)

Fertilizers to Use

Natural sources of nutrients, like compost and manure are your safest bet, environmentally-speaking. They not only add nutrients, but your plants will also benefit from the organic material that comes with compost and is important for rich healthy soil. In most municipalities, you can pick up inexpensive compost or manure from a Public Works Yard, or from your local garden store.
You can create your own compost, letting your kitchen scraps nourish your garden, and reducing waste! Learn more about composting in our Tool Kit article here, and find the method that works best for you and your garden.
You can even add some things like egg shells directly into the soil – crush them up and sprinkle around your plants to give them a rich source of calcium. Banana peels and coffee ground are also fabulous additions!
Learn more about alternative fertilizers – from fish to woodchips – in this Rootsy article.

Avoid runoff of fertilizers

While agricultural crops often benefit from soil nourishment, chemical fertilizers are not ideal, as they are often applied in excess, and can easily leach out of the soil and into nearby waterways. Eutrophication occurs when excess nutrients enter a waterbody – often through runoff of fertilizers – fueling an overgrowth of algae. That algal growth takes over the habitat, then when it completes its life cycle, the dead algae decomposes within that water body – a process which uses up oxygen in the water, making the environment inhospitable for fish and other aquatic life. Don’t contribute to eutrophication in your community, be smart about fertilizer application!

Only apply the amount of nutrients that your garden will use - in small doses at the base of the plant. If you are worried about certain deficiencies, you could get your soil tested. Generally, though, in a home garden setting, ensuring you are adding organic materials such as compost and rotating your crops each year should create a healthy growing environment for your plants.
Check the weather, and your local restrictions. Plan to apply your fertilizer outside of the rainy season, or when the weather calls for clear skies for a few days in a row. Some regions even ban fertilizer application during the rainy season!
Use natural fertilizers like compost and manure. In these natural application types, the nutrients are slowly released, so even if it rains, less nutrients will leach out of the soil.

Bonus Fun Tip!

Saving Seeds

Did you have an excellent crop of tomatoes this year? Consider saving the seeds to grow the same variety next year. Seed saving is an age old process. It helps us be more self sufficient and develop seed sovereignty where we are less reliant on commercial seeds. Not to mentioned, saving seeds from your garden can help with maintenance of diversity.

When choosing your plants, consider buying heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. Buy your starts or seeds from local farmers and nurseries that carry varieties that are open-pollinated and adapted to your local environment. Some of the larger commercial seed producers only offer patented seeds where you must repurchase them each year. Many communities have Seedy Saturday events where you can purchase local, open-pollinated varieties. Find an event in your area, and stop by to start your seed saving practice today!

Not sure where to start? Many organizations like the Organic Seed Alliance have made seed saving guides like this one freely available and ready for download.

Photo Credits: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash; Maylee on Unsplash; Flash Dantz on Unsplash; Trung Thanh on Unsplash; Sam Forson on Pexels; Greta Hoffman on Pexels; Arnaldo Aldana on Unsplash; Mick Haupt on Unsplash; Marina Yalanska on Unsplash; Steffi Pereira on Unsplash; Jeffrey Hamilton on Unsplash., Eco Warrior Princess on Unsplash.

Using Green Shores Nature-based Solutions

As a homeowner, you have an opportunity to enroll your site in Green Shores^® for Homes and work with qualified professionals (biologists, coastal engineers, and environmental specialists) to develop and apply a nature-based shoreline design on your property.

Green Shores^® is a program of the non-profit Stewardship Centre for British Columbia (SCBC) that offers a framework of best practices, training, and technical support to property owners interested in applying nature-based solutions on their property.

Applying nature-based solutions along shoreline properties comes with a number of environmental, social and economic benefits. For example, nature-based solutions, such as beach nourishment and native plantings, improves resiliency to sea level rise and climate change by allowing for dynamically coastal processes adjust to changing levels whilst also providing habitat complexity for the ecosystem. Implementing upland solutions, such as rain gardens or rainwater harvesting, can reduce runoff and contaminated water flowing to the shore, thereby minimizing erosion and harmful toxins entering the environment. Truly a 'win-win', nature-based solutions are also typically lower cost than static engineered shoreline property protection measures such as seawalls and they create a naturally beautiful shoreline for everyone to enjoy.

Learn more about Green Shores and continue reading below to learn how to enroll, and about the benefits and assistance you can receive.

A Green Shores for Homes - certified project site in Parksville, Vancouver Island. The shoreline project included a hybrid design and extensive planting of native vegetation with retention of large woody debris, providing resiliency to erosion, and enhanced aesthetics and access to the shoreline. Photo credit: Kelly Loch

Getting started with Green Shores for Homes

As one Green Shores for Homes homeowner said:

'Becoming involved, reading and learning about the benefits of Green Shores through this project has been enlightening….and fun. Thank you to the Green Shores team for sharing your knowledge and passion for the program. We look forward to enjoying the garden maturing and evolving with the hope of it being an inspiration for neighbouring waterfront owners. Best of all the birds love it!’ – Green Shores for Homes Gold Project Homeowner, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.

Follow the steps below to get started:

Visit the Green Shores website, review the resources available, and explore existing Green Shores Case Studies on completed projects to learn more about how the Green Shores process was applied and see the results. If you have any questions, contact the Stewardship Centre for BC at info@stewardshipcentrebc.ca.

Decided to enroll your project in Green Shores? Visit the Green Shores Enrollment page to fill out the form and get access to additional information, project assistance and a third-party verification that provides credibility to your project outcomes. Of course, you may use Green Shores guidance without enrolling your project but then you will not receive assistance in steps 3-5 below.

Once your application is received, the Green Shores Project Coordinator will work with you to help assemble a team of qualified shoreline professionals, including Green Shores Approved Professionals, discuss options for Green Shores on your property and help you to find out what training options are available to you.

Work with your Green Shores team to design and implement the Green Shores nature-based project. This will involve collecting background information and completing the required project pre-requisites such as an Environmental Management Plan and Existing Conditions Plan, listed in the Green Shores for Homes Credits and Ratings Guide. Options for the design might include re-sloping your shoreline, planting native vegetation, removal of existing hard armour, sediment enhancement and more.

When the work is complete, the Green Shores Projects Coordinator will assign a Green Shores verifier who will review your documentation and the completed shoreline design to assign points to your project. Points are awarded under different credits, outlined in the Green Shores for Homes Credits and Ratings Guide. Depending on the number of points achieved, your project can receive Silver (GSH Level 1) or Gold (GSH Level 2) certification!

Currently, there is no cost to the homeowner for Green Shores for Homes as grant funding covers the cost of project enrollment, support and verification. Larger scale projects, for example a park or commercial site, follow a similar process to the above but use the Green Shores for Shoreline Development guide. There are fees associated with enrollment and verification of Green Shores for Shoreline Development projects. Contact the Stewardship Centre for more information.

Why get Green Shores certified?

By enrolling in Green Shores for Homes, homeowners benefit from project assistance, training and verification at no cost. As well, Green Shores projects located on Vancouver Island can potentially use the Expedited Permit Checklist for nature-based projects to expedite provincial permitting in the foreshore. This process provides the homeowner with time and cost savings. By using Green Shores guidance, homeowners are able to design a successful custom nature-based approach that works for the site and their needs.

In addition, once the Green Shores project is certified, the property value might be enhanced, and maintenance costs reduced, making it a valuable investment for homeowners. Green Shores certified sites are also a source of pride to the homeowner, and a great inspiration to neighbouring shoreline owners. In this way, shoreline owners work together to support the environment and promote nature-based solutions in their communities.

“We are proud recipients of Green Shores certification for keeping the shoreline natural at our new home in Bowser, BC! “ – 2019 Green Shores for Homes homeowner, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Photo by the Stewardship Centre for BC.

Additional resources

Green Shores Website

Green Shores Downloadable Guides and Resources

Green Shores Approved Professionals

Green Shores Training

Green Shores Webinars

Saving Electricity

Earth’s resources are important to manage and conserve, and electricity is a resource that should be used wisely.

In British Columbia more than 90% of BC Hydro’s power is generated from hydroelectricity. While it is a clean source of energy with low carbon footprint, hydroelectricity projects affect our watersheds and disrupt river systems that are important salmon habitats. Therefore, it is still important to conserve energy to reduce pressure on the grid, which collectively can help minimize the need for future hydroelectric projects.

The following sections contain energy saving tips that will save you money on your BC Hydro bill and reduce your impact on the environment. You may also want to learn more about green sources of energy for your home, such as solar panels, or switching to renewable natural gas to further reduce your impact.

Learn how much you use

Understanding your personal energy consumption is a great place to start on the path to reducing electricity use. If you are a BC Hydro customer, you can track your electricity consumption down to the hour, by the day or on a monthly or yearly basis. Simply create an account with BC Hydro with the following tool: Track and manage your electricity use online.

Products like the Rainforest EMU-2™ Energy Monitoring Unit could help you track your household’s energy usage, as well as the estimated cost of the energy you are currently using (learn more from BC Hydro by clicking here).

Once you are tracking yourself, you can check your usage against the average BC energy consumption or similar houses in your neighbourhood. You can even compare yourself against your past self and see how implementing some of the tips below are making a difference!

Things you can do

Switch off and unplug:

Turn off lights you aren’t using. Be conscious of the lights around your home and if they need to be on. Rely on daylight from windows during the day and switch off lights as you leave a room.
Turn off your entertainment system when not in use. You can plug your streaming devices, DVD player and TV into a single power strip with a switch, then it is simple to turn it off at the end of the day.
Unplug and turn off extra devices around the home, like coffee makers or computers, when they are not in use. Many devices are on standby mode when powered off that can add up across multiple electronics over time.

Upgrade:

Replace old incandescent bulbs with the latest high efficiency LED bulbs that will last much longer and save money in the long run.

Upgrade your windows to energy efficient ones. Windows, being less well insulated than walls, are responsible for significant heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. Modern double-glazed windows can reduce heat loss by 30% over single pane glass. The window type and frame can also impact how energy efficient it is.

Retire old appliances for more efficient models. In recent years, there have been significant improvements to the efficiency of the appliances that we use every day. When it is time to replace an old appliance, seek a replacement that is ENERGY STAR^® certified. Information and links to product guides for different appliances have been compiled by Natural Resources Canada and in BC Hydro’s Power Smart Shop. By upgrading older appliances, you can measurably reduce your energy consumption:
- A new front loader is more water and energy efficient, potentially reducing energy consumption by 65% saving.
- A fridge over 10 years old may require double the electricity of a new energy efficient model.
- An ENERGY STAR® TV consumes 30% less energy than an ordinary one.
- The above advice is from BC Hydro, learn more here.

Switch your heating system. New heat pumps are more energy efficient and effective than ever and since our electricity in BC is mainly from renewable sources, using an electric heat pump has a low carbon footprint. An added benefit of heat pumps is that they can cool your home in the summer months by pumping out the warm air from within your home to the outside. When upgrading, check for heat pump rebates.

Try a programmable or smart thermostat. You can further your efficiency by having a programmable thermostat and tailor the temperature of your home around your activities. You can it set your heater to kick on a few degrees cooler (try 16°C) at night when you are under the covers and keep your heater lower during the day when everyone is out of the house.

Simple energy saving tips:

In winter

Lower your thermostat by a degree or two. Every extra degree significantly adds to your bill, so grab a comfy sweater and slippers and keep your home a little cooler.
Close window coverings at night to prevent heat loss and open them during the day to let the sunlight warm your home.
Regularly maintain your heating system so that it is working optimally.
Seal drafty windows and apply weather stripping to doors that are letting the cold in, this is a simple project you can do yourself.

Click here to find more tips from BC Hydro to keep your home warm in winter.

In summer

Close window coverings and blinds during a hot day to reduce the amount of heat coming through the window.
Promote natural ventilation to moderate the temperature of your home, open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage the flow through of cool air in the evenings and mornings.
Line dry your laundry whenever possible. Did you know that on average 12% of home electricity consumption is from the clothes dryer? Hanging laundry on a line or rack outside to dry not only saved you electricity, it will extend the life of your clothes and reduce microplastic pollution.
Avoid the oven, which will heat up your kitchen and use the BBQ or have a salad for dinner.
Use a fan to keep cool rather than air conditioning when possible.

Click here to find more tips from BC Hydro for keeping cool in summer.

All year-round

Use smaller kitchen appliances for cooking meals, such as the microwave, crockpot, air fryer or toaster oven rather than the oven, when possible.
Opt for a laptop rather than desktop computer. Desktops consume greater amounts of electricity.
Wash your laundry on a short cycle with cold water (which also will extend the life of your clothes and reduce microplastic pollution).
Take shorter showers. Heating water is energy intensive, taking shorter showers means heating less water (also good for conserving water in the summer time).
Dry full loads of laundry in the dryer and throw in a dry towel or dryer balls which help to distribute the moisture and reduce the amount of time and energy it takes to dry. If you have multiple loads to dry, do them right after each other while the dryer is still warm.
Open your dishwasher to dry, select the air-dry option and open it up at the end of its cycle rather than using energy to heat dry.
Keep your fridge full and organized, it takes more energy to keep an empty fridge cool than a full one. You can keep a fridge at optimal fullness with jugs of cold water if need be. By keeping your fridge well organized you can find what you are after quickly and reduce the time the door is open letting the coolness escape. Click here for more fridge and freezer tips.

Click here to find even more tips from BC Hydro on ways to save electricity.

Incentives:

Taking the steps outlined above will help save you money on your electricity bill, and you may be able to save even more money through rebates and incentives. Take advantage of government and BC Hydro rebates programs to take on bigger projects with greater up-front costs, such as improving your home’s insulation or upgrading a major appliance.

If you can reduce your electricity use by 10% over 12 months, BC Hydro will pay you $50. Join BC Hydro’s Team Power Smart Energy Challenge through Team Power Smart. Simply start by logging in to your online account.

We can all make choices that help to save electricity. Let’s all work towards this for today's and future generations.

Photo credits: Anete Lusina from Pexels, Ksenia Chernaya from Pexels, Nicole Christiansen, Maria Catanzaro, Ben Wicks on Unsplash

Nature-based Solutions for the Shoreline

Rather than coastal armouring structures such as seawalls and riprap, which degrade over time, disrupt natural shoreline processes, deflect wave energy, and are vulnerable to sea level rise, nature-based solutions can be used to protect our shorelines and the communities along them.

Coastlines are naturally dynamic systems and this can be a good thing for adapting to climate change if we understand and respect the natural processes at play. By working with nature, we can increase our resiliency to the impacts of climate change while also supporting and protecting biodiversity and human well-being.

*Compared to traditional hard-armouring (left), nature-based solutions (right) can offer better protection from storm surge and sea level rise while maintaining high value habitat.* *Illustration by Holly Sullivan.*

Here, we share a number of considerations and nature-based strategies for protecting our shorelines and communities.

Protecting the Upland

Protecting healthy and functioning coastal ecosystems starts with attention to the areas above the high tide mark, or the ‘upland’. By managing what happens on the upland, shorelines can be protected from excessive run‑off, contaminants, and erosion that would otherwise contribute to shoreline degradation. Here are a few suggestions:

Retain trees and snags – Avoid clearing of trees and shrubs along the shoreline as these provide important functions, for example as a food source, for shading, and riparian zone stabilization.

Practice eco-friendly gardening – Remove invasive species and encourage native species, and avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

Reduce and treat run‑off – Use strategies such as rain gardens, permeable pavers and rainwater capture systems to minimize run-off from your property which can help reduce surface erosion and prevent contaminants from flowing into the aquatic environment.

Protect the riparian zone – A healthy riparian zone is key to the health of the shoreline as it acts as a buffer between the upland and the foreshore. The first step it to protect what is there: but if the backshore vegetation has been cleared in the past, try to replant it with native species. Below is a table of suitable species for our local coastal riparian zones you can source from a native plant nursery.

Trees	Shrubs	Grass & Wild Flowers
Arbutus	Nootka rose	beach wild-rye grass
Douglas-fir	oceanspray	red fescue
Sitka spruce	red flowering currant	entire-leaved gumweed
shore pine	snowberry	large-leaved lupine
red alder	mock-orange	seashore lupine
big-leaf maple	sweet gale	beach pea
Pacific willow	salal	silvery burweed
cascara	Oregon-grape	beach strawberry
Hooker's willow	thimbleberry	sea-watch
Douglas maple	salmonberry	cow-parsnip
Scouler's willow	Indian-plum	Cooley's hedge-nettle
Pacific crab apple	black twinberry	common yarrow
vine maple	kinnickinnick	wooly sunflower
western red cedar	Pacific ninebark

Table adapted from tables included in Your Marine Waterfront (pg 37-39) and Green Shores Credits and Ratings Guide for Homes (pg 130).

Plan for sea level rise

Sea levels are rising – how a given area will be impacted will depend on the region and a number of other factors such as erosion and deposition rates, and geological factors like uplift and plate tectonics. In British Columbia, sea level rise is projected to be greatest on the north coast, the Fraser Lowland and southern Vancouver Island. See this map which shows vulnerability to sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Sea level rise will increase tide levels and how far seawater reaches onto land, influence the duration and frequency of inundation, exacerbate coastal erosion, and even cause the loss of nearshore habitat. Coastal modifications can exacerbate these impacts. To adapt we will need to:

Avoid further development directly on shorelines – Protect and preserve the natural areas we still have. Preserving shorelines in their natural state helps ensure important habitats are available to support biodiverse ecosystems and our coastal food web.

Accommodate for sea level rise – Increase setbacks, move infrastructure back if possible, and build any new structures further back from the shore. There is often a required regulatory setback that is established by local government regulations and this may vary by area. A safe setback distance that accounts for local sea level rise should be calculated based on site conditions by a qualified professional, whom would also ensure regulatory conditions are met.

Remove existing seawalls, riprap or other modifications to the shoreline – These structures, which are built with the intention to protect coastal infrastructure, actually disrupt coastal processes and are not an effective long-term solution for adapting to sea level rise. A shoreline is most resilient when it can function as an intact ecosystem.

Undertake Restoration and Implement Nature-based Solutions

Successful restoration that improves ecosystem function and protects shoreline infrastructure requires a complete understanding of the dynamics of the area of shoreline you are working on. Enlisting qualified professionals (coastal geomorphologists/engineers, landscape architects, environmental consultants and biologists) is a critical step and will help you confidently design and plan a solution that considers natural coastal processes, shoreline erosion risk, and the dynamics of the ecosystem as a whole. The Stewardship Centre for BC has compiled a list of Green Shores Approved Professionals that have the skills and experience for such projects.

Depending on the site being restored some nature-based solutions that may be recommended include:

Recontour the beach profile – Recontouring can create great habitat benefits and provide shoreline protection. The aim of recontouring is to alter the slope of a beach so that it has a gentle gradient that will naturally dissipate wave energy. The process involves large machinery removing sediment from some areas and adding it to others to create the desired effect. Depending on the dynamics of a site, it may require maintenance over time to preserve the slope profile.

Beach nourishment – Sediment that is lost through erosion and not replenished by natural coastal processes can be replaced through a process called beach nourishment. Coastal modifications, such as groynes, jetties and breakwaters, disrupt longshore drift, which is responsible for maintaining the sand on beaches. Without natural replenishment, beaches that were once sandy or gravelly, may be stripped to cobble stones or bedrock. Having the right types of sediments on beaches is vital for forage fish, which spawn along the high tide line. To ensure the best habitat outcome, consult with a shoreline professional with expertise in coastal processes and forage fish requirements. They may suggest a ‘forage fish’ sediment mix that is specially formulated to suit the needs of species like Pacific sand lance, Pacific herring and surf smelt.

Incorporate large woody debris – Drift wood logs and other large woody debris can be placed along upper beaches and backshore, typically beyond the reach of the waves, to stabilize the shoreline and provide micro‑habitat for vegetation and animals. Depending on where they are placed, the natural untreated logs that are brought in may need to be anchored, either by partial burial or placing between rocks, to ensure they will not float away on the next high tide. Ideally, the logs will include intact roots or branches and be Douglas fir or western red cedar as they are naturally rot resistant. Once in place, the logs can help reduce erosion and accrete additional sediment on which dune grass and other shoreline plants may establish, further stabilizing and building up the beach.

Stabilize the shoreline with vegetation – Planting the riparian zone will stabilize sediment and prevent erosion along the shoreline. Having intact vegetation along the shoreline will also increase biodiversity, support marine food web linkages, and create incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. Besides planting native plant seedlings, there is another common method of revegetation, known as live staking, which involves sustainably harvesting cuttings from specific native species near by (e.g. red alder, snowberry, and Scouler willow) and staking them into the sediment and for them to eventually re-grow and stabilize the bank. Here is a photo from a marine riparian restoration on Thetis Island by SeaChange Marine Conservation Society, led by Dave Polster.

Case Study: Weaverling Spit Restoration Projects

A great example where all of these methods were utilized is the Weaverling Spit Restoration Projects by Samish Nation and Coastal Geologic Services, in Samish Territory, Anacortes, Washington. The project involved multiple phases of restoration along the shoreline including a long-term plan for managed retreat on Tribal Lands to allow for landward habitat migration. Below you will see how the shoreline was re-graded and restored and the benefits that have been achieved.

Prior to the restoration (left) Fidalgo Bay Resort was vulnerable to storm surges and experienced flooding and infrastructure damage. After regrading the shoreline and supplementing sediment (right), the site is more protected.

Weaverling Spit was experiencing erosion and, with lawn extending to the shoreline, there was no habitat connectivity (left) prior to recontouring the beach and planting riparian vegetation (right). The site is now more resilient to storm events and provides valuable habitat again. Large woody debris has naturally recruited and brought with it additional habitat and shoreline stabilization benefits described above. The beach was nourished with a forage fish sediment mix and, incredibly, they found surf smelt spawning the very next day!

Considering a project involving some or all of the above strategies?

Check out these helpful resources for additional information:

Put together for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and adapted by the Stewardship Centre for British Columbia, Your Marine Waterfront Canadian Edition provides ways to promote healthy shorelines while protecting waterfront properties. Included are guidelines for site assessments and design techniques to plan and restore your shoreline and other helpful resources for shoreline property owners.

The Washington State Aquatic Habitat Guidelines Program has created Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines as comprehensive guide of shoreline assessment and management techniques. This guide provides detailed methods for site assessments, implementation of the nature-based solutions outlined above, and considerations and techniques for removal of coastal armouring.

You can take your project a step further and enroll your project with Green Shores and go through Green Shores^® accreditation process. Find out more from the SCBC website (Green Shores for Homes and Green Shores for Shoreline Development) and this Green Shores for Homes Credits and Ratings Guide.

Photo credits: Kelly Loch, Maria Catanzaro, Weaverling Spit Restoration 'before' photos courtesy of Todd Woodard, Samish Nation Natural Resources, after photos by Maria Catanzaro

Greening Your Wardrobe

The key to having an environmentally friendly wardrobe is to buy new products less often – and to refrain from participating in the wasteful fast-fashion industry.

Many of us feel the urge to revamp our wardrobe from time to time, but buying new clothes and getting rid of unwanted items doesn’t have to be wasteful! Most clothing brands negatively impact the environment – from harmful dyes to overuse of water to microplastic pollution. Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions? This number could increase if the industry carries on its excessive trend in production. Not to mention that many clothing producers are not socially responsible – continuing to operate their factories under unsafe conditions, and underpaying workers in developing countries to cut production costs.

The fast-fashion industry, where clothing items are made cheaply to keep up with trends and be affordable for the average consumer, is a huge problem, and is relatively new. There has been a radical increase in the production of clothing since 2000 – in fact, production has nearly doubled! Although there are many avenues to donate, reuse or recycle clothing items, approximately 85% of all garments produced end up in the landfill. Fortunately, there are many ways that you can help reduce these shocking figures! Learn more about the impacts of the fashion industry in this Business Insider article. Check out these tips for making your spring, summer, fall or even winter cleaning more eco-conscious, and maybe even profitable!

Contribute to the circular economy

Do some good

Donate your used clothing, bedding, kitchen ware, and sports equipment to a thrift store. Most thrift stores raise money for local hospitals, shelters, and other positive causes, so your donations to or purchases from thrift stores will help out a worthy cause.

You can also donate the clothes directly to a shelter or a donation drop off bin around your community.

Not to mention, shopping at thrift stores provides fun opportunities to find unique, affordable items.

Make some extra cash

Have high quality clothing items that you just don’t reach for? Consider consignment!

Consignment stores like Turn About simplify selling quality garments. Through these shops, you can sell your used clothing without the extra steps of taking photos of the garments and managing requests and questions about the items. This is a great option if you have high value items that you need help selling. Through consignment, you can make some extra cash by receiving a portion of the sales of your items, or by having the buyer offer you a price for your items on the spot. Often, these stores are particular about which brands, materials or styles they accept – but make an appointment or stop by and speak with their buyers to find out how each store works.

Use apps/websites to help circulate quality used items within your community! Varage Sale (aptly named because it is like holding a garage sale, virtually) and Facebook Marketplace are great tools to help you sell any items that you no longer need - from furniture to shoes to handmade items! Simply upload photos and add the details of your item(s), set the price, and watch the messages come flooding in!

Online platforms are especially helpful for families. Kids grow out of clothing and shoes so quickly, so opting for second-hand items is a great move to reduce your environmental impact, as well as the impact on your wallet.

Shop thoughtfully

Invest for the long haul

If you need to purchase a new item, make it a thoughtful purchase. Do some research, and maybe save up to invest in key pieces that are well made and will last a long time.

Many tried and true staple brands such as Levi’s are committed to making quality items that last, and on improving their standards of production. In 2021, Levi’s launch their campaign “Buy Better, Wear Longer,” emphasizing their brand messaging that Levi’s denim products are meant to be worn throughout a person’s life, not just for a season.

Support brands doing the right thing

Levi's has also committed to using new innovations to reduce their water consumption during the processesing of their products. Read more about the brand’s commitments to being eco-conscious in this Branding Forum article.

Want to find out about the eco-consciousness of other brands that you love? Try out the Good on You app or website to explore the ethical and environmental ratings of thousands of clothing producers. Plus, get tips on building your wardrobe with staples from the most highly rated brands with the lowest environmental impacts, and read about current issues like how fashion trends are leading consumers to support fast fashion.

Don’t forget to buy products made from natural materials like cotton, linen, and leather since they are durable and do not contribute to microplastic pollution in your laundry.

Make the most out of what you already have

Another simple way to reduce your contribution to textiles waste is by making your clothing last longer. Do some garments like socks have a hole in them? You can easily stitch it up to get some more life out of that pair.

Larger holes in jeans can be patched up using fun coloured or patterned fabrics. You can stitch by hand, or use one or two simple stitches on a sewing machine. Get creative with your mending – get inspired, and learn some tips and tricks for every kind of hole or tear!

Fast-fashion garments that are typically made with synthetic materials also tend to break down faster, and the cheap production means these pieces tend to fall apart after a few washes – which means more stitching for you! The lives of these garments are short, and their low value means you will be less likely to resell these items. When you invest in well made garments made from natural materials, they are much more likely to last.

Find more tips on Metro Vancouver's Think Thrice page, including how to repair or recycle your tired clothes and advice on investing in quality pieces.

Photo credits: Ksenia Chrnaya from Pexels, Tom Fisk from Pexels, Antoni Shkraba from Pexels, Filipe Vieira on Unsplash, and Reuben Kim on Unsplash.

Planting a Native Garden

Beautiful native gardens enrich your surroundings while supporting local biodiversity - including pollinators and bird species.

Native plants are adapted to our local soils and climate conditions. If native species are planted in the right spots, they will be very low maintenance and require less water and fertilizers.

So, if you are thinking about starting a native garden, let’s jump in to learn more about the benefits of native plants, and how you can include native species on your property!

The Many Benefits of Native Species

There are a number of benefits to having native species in your garden. Generally:

Many species are pest-resistant
- Since native plants have evolved along side the local fauna they have deterrent features or can withstand occasional browsing by deer for example.
They attract native pollinators
- Because native plants are adapted to local conditions, their features are perfect for attracting and feeding local pollinators like swallow-tail butterflies, bumble bees, sweat bees, and more! These native pollinators are attracted to certain flower colours and shapes of native plant species. Some non-invasive exotic plants may support pollinators, but be sure to choose local species of plants to better suit the needs of local pollinators.
They’re water-smart!
- Many native plants are more deeply-rooted than non-native species. This helps to stabilize the soil and help rain water percolate into the ground. Native species are adapted to our climate of wet winters, dry summers and coastal influences. Many are drought-tolerant, and some coastal plants are even salt-tolerant! Not only are these hardy plants more likely to survive some tough conditions like winter storms and summer heat waves, they will also help you conserve water by not having to irrigate your garden.
They require less inputs like fertilizers
- Again, since these species are suited to local conditions, they grow well naturally in our coastal soils. While tropical species or common ornamental garden species require inputs of fertilizers to remain healthy, their native counterparts thrive with the natural levels of soil nutrients.
They are of ecological importance
- Having native species in your garden supports the local ecosystem. It provides habitat connectivity and cross-pollination opportunities.
They are of cultural importance
- Since native plants are endemic, they are interwoven into our cultures and history. Plants like the Camas lily and Salal are both culturally significant plants as staple foods for many Coastal First Nations for millennia. While the fruit from native Bitter Cherry trees is not edible, the bark has traditionally been used to make baskets and the tough branches of Hardhack were used to make hooks for catching, drying and smoking fish. Nootka rose hips were traditionally used as perfume.
- Native plant species also help support our coastal food web including iconic species like the black bear, bald eagle, and species of Pacific salmon – all of which are culturally significant.

Getting Started

Before planting native species in your garden, you may want to take an inventory of the species that are already there. You may find that you already have some native species that you would like to conserve, or you may have some exotic plants or even invasives that would be beneficial to remove so that your native garden can flourish.

Removing invasive species

Species with invasive tendencies can out-compete native species that are more beneficial to local organisms, deplete soils of nutrients, and can reduce the biodiversity of the ecosystem overall.

Step 1: Identify

It important to correctly identify the species first so that we can choose the most appropriate method for removal. There are a number of resources you can access to help you name that plant:

Seek information about which plants are invasive through the Invasive Species Council of BC at: Identify Invasive Species. If you are unsure, contact a specialist to help with identification and help you choose the most appropriate method of removal.
Another method that might be helpful is using the iNaturalist app. Simply snap a photo or two of the plant in question and upload it. Often, the app will suggest species that look similar and you can scroll through to see which plant it is likely to be, and whether that species is endemic to your area.
E-flora BC is also a great resource to check if you are uncertain of the origins of a plant.

Here are some common invasive species you may find in your garden:

You might be surprised to know that even some of the most common garden flowers are not native, and have invasive tendencies. Butterfly bush, for instance, is not an ideal garden flower since it produces a large amount of seeds, which helps it spread to open areas like roadsides and forest edges.

Instead, opt for California lilac (pictured on the left) or a Red-flowering currant. Not only are these species beautiful and fragrant, they are also suited to local conditions and will attract native pollinators. Fortunately, there are many native plants that serve the same function (e.g. attracting pollinators, stabilizing slopes) and have a similar aesthetic as common exotic species. Check out this Grow Me Instead resource the BC Invasive Species Council to find alternatives to common invasive plants, tailored to BC gardens!

Even if a particular non-native plant is not actively taking over your garden, they can outcompete native varieties and cause havoc in systems outside of your property. Yellow flag Iris, for one, has become an extremely problematic species in the estuaries of BC. These brilliant yellow flowers were originally brought over from Europe and western Asia as a beautiful garden variety. However, their resilient seed pods have been carried down streams and into our estuaries where they have made a stamp in the marsh ecosystems. It is important to consider the impacts of the plants we choose in our garden, because often those impacts are much further-reaching than we would expect.

Step 2: Remove

Be careful when removing invasive species! Many have protective mechanisms or features like thorns or sap that could cause injury.
Be especially wary of your pets near certain species. Cheatgrass or speargrass, for example, is a very common invasive grass species that has sharp barbs on the seedhead which can injure animals by cutting into their paws or skin.

Removing invasive species is hard work, but by doing so you are helping reduce the spread, and offering a sanctuary where diverse native plants can grow.

Plant Lists and Guides

Now, for the fun stuff! Selecting suitable species and planning your beautiful garden!

Take a virtual tour of Satinflower Nursery and Coastal Native Plants and be introduced to some wonderful native plants by an expert.
The CanPlant app is a great place to get started! This inventory of Canadian native plants allows you to search by province of native origin, by plant family, soil type, and other factors!
Check out the Stewardship Centre’s Green Shores Native Plant Lists for lake and marine shoreline properties.
Browse through the Washington Native Plan Society’s Native Plant Directory to find the species that will suit your space! Since Washington is in the Pacific Northwest region, these plants listed are also appropriate for BC gardens.
Local native plant nursery, Satinflower Nurseries has some incredible resources to get you started! Check out this plant list for help with choosing native species to plant based on factors like soil type, ecosystem benefit, and planting requirements.
Need more of a step-by-step guide? Try these Satinflower ‘how-to’ guides that guide you through specific projects like designing and planting a hedgerow.
Join the Pollinator Partnership, and check out their ecoregional planting guides to help you select flowering plants that support pollinators in your local environment.
By working with a landscape architect to develop a riparian planting plan, native plants can be installed according to the location they are best suited for. You can search through the British Columbia Society of Landscape Architects to find a practitioner in your area! Be sure to let them know you are interested in planting a garden rich in native species.

Be(e) Pollinator Friendly

Tips for building your native plant garden with pollinators, such as beautiful native swallowtail butterflies, bees and even birds in mind:

In terms of flowering plants, select a variety of colours, shapes and types of flowers to attract a broad range of pollinators.

Plant in clumps by flower type. You want variety in your garden, but be sure to plant all your roses in one area so that it is easier for the pollinators to see this cluster of forage habitat from the air. This also makes cross-pollination much easier if marigold pollen isn’t accidentally being deposited on a rose flower next door!
Take it one step further, and create nesting habitat for native bees! Use natural (untreated) cardboard and wood to create a mason bee house, and make sure to create an overhanging slanted roof to protect the pollinators from rain.

To help support native pollinators, and reduce your water consumption, opt for a lawn that is made up of native meadow species. A meadow lawn is beautiful, and turns golf green lawns into species rich habitats. Not to mention, by using native species, you will eliminate the need for inputs like fertilizers, herbicides and excess irrigation. Contact Satinflower Nurseries today for a consultation about meadowscaping your yard.

Some Native Shrubs and Trees to Consider for your garden

Big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum)

This deciduous tree has so much to offer! Nesting habitat, shade, plus it supports the growth of other smaller species upon it (these are called epiphytes) such as club moss (Selaginella oregano), and lichens (Cladonia, Nephroma, and Crocynia spp.). Not to mention, when the leaves fall in the autumn, you can use them as mulch in your garden beds.

Arbutus or Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii)

If you are looking to have lovely green foliage all year, Arbutus in the only native broad leaf evergreen tree in Canada! It thrives in dry coastal areas around the Strait of Georgia.

Pacific Dogwood (Cornus nuttalii)

Known for their spring show of flowers (which are actually modified leaves), Dogwood is the floral emblem of BC and a protected species. The trees are wonderful showy garden additions.

Salal (Gaultheria shallon)

Salal makes a great riparian buffer. It loves growing near the coast, is salt-tolerant, and provides berries that are a historically important staple food in the diet of many Coastal First Nations. Other native berries you could consider adding to your garden are huckleberry, Oregon grape and salmon berry.

Nootka Rose (Rosa nutkana)

Everyone loves roses, why not grow our beautiful wild roses!

Native ferns

Ferns, which are typically under story plants, make excellent additions to the shady parts of a garden. Native species, such as the pictured Deer fern (Blechnum spicant) or Sword fern (Ploystichum munitum) are green all year.

Hardhack/ steeplebush / rose spirea (Spiraea douglasii)

Perfect for your native plant rain garden, as it loves swamps and moist soils! Its beautiful pink/purple clustered blossoms will bring a nice fragrance to your yard in the spring.

Broad-leaved stonecrop (Sedum spathulifolium)

Need a hardy little ground cover for a sunny rocky spot? Try a native succulent such as the Broad-leaved stonecrop which produces stocks of yellow flowers in early summer and their leaves form cute fleshy rosettes.

Okay, I’ve chosen my native plant species! Now, where do I buy them?

There are many places to learn about planting a native garden, including nurseries that specialize in supplying plants that are native to BC. Native plants are often available at other nurseries, but native plant nurseries will have a focus on providing not only native species, but plants that were grown locally.

Click on the map to be linked to an interactive version to find a local plant nursery that specializes in natives species. Visit these nurseries to source your plants. Do not harvest native plants from parks or other areas so as not to disturb natural areas. Do you own a local native plant nursery business? Get in touch so we can add you to this map! Email ksheehan@psf.ca with your business info.

Why stop at native plants?

There are lots of things you can do to make your garden greener! Consider adding a rain garden to your yard, creating your own compost, and learn about what pesticides are particularly harmful. Also check out our Green Gardening Tool Kit article for other ways to support biodiverity and conserve water.

Photo credit: Maria Catanzaro, Nicole Christiansen, Ando Shev on Unsplash, Madison Inouye on Pexels, Lum3n on Pexels, Kyla Sheehan, Crystal Jo on Unsplash, Noah Boyer on Unsplash

Reduce Microplastics Pollution from Your Laundry

Microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in length, are everywhere. Although they are tiny, microplastics are a growing concern as an environmental pollutant, especially in marine ecosystems.

Microplastics can contain harmful chemicals that may leach into the environment and be adsorbed into body tissues. It is not just a problem for a few filter feeding critters, alarmingly, microplastics are making their way through the entire marine food web all the way to our dinner plates!

To our shoreline neighbours like forage fish, killer whales and sea birds, microplastics disrupt feeding and growth patterns by physically filling the stomachs of these animals and reducing the amount of nutrients they absorb. Added chemicals that alter the flexibility, durability or colour of plastics can also impact these animals by building up as toxins in their tissues, a process known as bioaccumulation.

Did you know that a large portion of microplastic pollution comes from laundering our clothes – over 35%, in fact! Synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon shed tiny plastic fibers every time they are washed. A single load of laundry can release roughly 700,000 bits of microplastic! These particles are so small that they often escape waste water treatment facilities and end up in our waterways and the ocean.

It is critical that we do our part to prevent microplastics from entering the marine environment, because once they are there, they are impossible to clean up.

Luckily, we can reduce microplastic pollution by making some conscious changes to how we do laundry.

What can you do?

Opt for natural fabrics that biodegrade - whether you are buying new or second-hand clothing items, select natural materials such as cotton, linen, wool, silk and rayon. These natural, plant or animal-derived materials will still contribute microfibers to your wash water, but those fibres will biodegrade in the environment. If you have only natural fabrics in your load you can even compost your dryer lint!
Avoid synthetic materials - such as nylon, polyester, acrylic and spandex/lycra. These are materials that are commonly used for fitness clothing like leggings, shorts and lightweight jackets. For shedding, the worst offender is fuzzy polyester fleece.
Wash sparingly - consider if you can wear your clothes another time before washing. Try to spot clean a spill rather than wash the entire garment. Limiting the frequency of washing will reduce the overall amount of shed fibers (and help your clothes last longer!).

Invest in a microfiber filter - such as the one above by PlanetCare or the one on the left by Filtrol for your washing machine to prevent plastics from entering your waste water. These clever little devices make a big impact in helping reduce your household input of microplastics into our coastal waters.

Use cold water - for your washes. The warm water settings will break down fabrics faster, compared to cold water washes.
Avoid the gentle cycle - and other settings that increase the washing time of laundry loads. Fabrics will break down more the longer they are being tossed around in your washing machine.
Choose a front loader - when selecting a washer, , which are gentler and do not cause as much shedding as top loaders.
Hang your laundry to dry - when you can to avoid the heat and friction of the dyer, which can also break down fabrics prematurely (also a great way to save electricity).
Use mesh laundry bags - for your synthetic clothing, such as the Guppyfriend bag, to capture microplastics. Remember, when you clean the bag out the fibres should be thrown away with your garbage and not washed down the drain.

Try the Cora Ball - as another option to add to your laundry machine. It is an engineered ball that helps reduce the amount of fibres that break off of our clothes as they tumble, and collects any fibres that do into fuzz that clings to the ball.

Choose your detergent carefully! It’s tough to make a good choice:

Powdered detergents generate more friction during a wash cycle, and may cause more fibers to break off of fabrics; detergent pods and detergent sheets contain polyvinyl alcohol a type of dissolvable plastic (liquid polymer) that is not easily removed by wastewater treatment plants; liquid detergents are typically packaged in plastic jugs that, if not disposed of properly, can also contribute to the plastic problem; and, some detergents may even have tiny added microplastic beads!

Read more about how to choose a microplastic free detergent in this article from the Ethical Consumer and see how different detergents compare for environmental safety with the Environmental Working Group’s Healthy Cleaning Guide.

The best option is to purchase liquid detergent from zero waste stores that sell soaps and detergents in bulk. You can then bring your own container and refill it again and again! Next best is to source environmentally safe liquid detergent in jugs that are made up of recycled content and/or are easily recyclable (check out our Tool Kit on Decoding Eco Labels).

Learn more:

CBC Article: Your laundry and plastic pollution — which fabrics shed the most microplastics

Oceanwise: Microplastics and home laundry

Follow blu e land on Instagram for incredible educational content about the impacts of conventional cleaning products, and what we can choose instead.

Photo credits: Washing machine, Engin Akyurt onPexels; Waves, Ivan Bandura on Unsplash; PlanetCare; Filtrol; Cora Ball; Detergent refill, Sarah Chai on Pexels

Salmon Friendly Docks

Shallow coastal habitats are critical for Pacific Salmon, especially when juveniles first migrate to saltwater. They use shallow nearshore areas for refuge and finding food, and during this period, healthy eelgrass meadows and complex habitat are vital.

Under traditional docks and overwater structures, however, it can be dark and barren – eelgrass can not thrive, nor can all the critters that depend on it. The lack of light also impacts salmon behaviour, as they naturally avoid dark areas and end up using deeper waters where they are more exposed to predators and don’t have the food resources they need. To learn more about these impacts, see our post on Salmon and Shoreline Modification you can also learn how to protect eelgrass habitats while you are boating in this post.

Fortunately, with a few considerations, there are ways we can build docks that minimize their impact to the coastal environment and to Pacific salmon.

The best way to protect the shallow coastal habitat is to avoid building docks in the first place.

If you are thinking about building a personal dock, consider if you can store your boat at a marina or at home on land. Could you share a dock with your neighbours? After all, it is a large endeavour to have a dock built. It requires authorization and there are regulations for building and compensation for habitat damage, especially when vital habitat like eelgrass is present. Along with reducing your footprint, sharing a dock also reduces costs and maintenance!

If you must build a dock, make it salmon friendly. Here’s how:

Keep it non-toxic – Do not use creosoted or chemically treated footings, which are highly toxic! If retrofitting an existing structure, remove any treated pilings.

Allow the light to make it through – rather than using solid decking, use grating that allows light penetration to the water. This is a relatively simple fix that can even be applied to existing docks by swapping out sections of decking.

Reduce the number of pilings – make the dock span more like a bridge, and keep the bottom of the dock’s deck at least half a metre above the high-water mark. This will also allow more light to shine through and reduces the amount of submerged artificial structures in shallow areas.

Be considerate at night – don’t leave your lights on overnight. Lights at night can affect natural circadian rhythms and expose fish to nocturnal predators.

To learn more about better docks for salmon, check out this post on the subject by Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed.

Photo Credits: Joey Genovese Unsplash, Meritt Thomas Unsplash

How can we motivate ourselves to create new habits that make us feel good AND help the planet?

Below are some behavioural-change strategies to try out:

Focus on everyday small manageable actions

Shift Habitual Behaviours – Re-set your habits

Make Yourself Accountable – Strategies to make your intentions stick

Encourage yourself with Positive Reinforcement

Think about our ‘future selves’

Setting Defaults

Consider the Financial Benefits

Vote with the environment in mind!

Additional Resources

More tips to make your green thumb a little greener!

Opt for Native Plants

Water Efficiently

Go for Summer Gold!

Support Pollinators with a Meadow Lawn

Bonus Fun Tip!

Solar lights

If we treat our gardens as a natural, functioning system, we can avoid the use of harmful chemicals and still have healthy, thriving plants. Here are some tips on how to make your green thumb greener!

Natural Pest Management

Companion Planting for Pest Control

Opt for Natural Pesticides

Keeping out Larger Pests

Optimize Soil Health, the Natural Way

Use Crop Rotation to Manage Pests and Balance Soil Nutrients

Protect Your Soil All Seasons

Use Cover Crops in the Off-Season

Mulching

Fertilizers to Use

Avoid runoff of fertilizers

Bonus Fun Tip!

Saving Seeds

As a homeowner, you have an opportunity to enroll your site in Green Shores® for Homes and work with qualified professionals (biologists, coastal engineers, and environmental specialists) to develop and apply a nature-based shoreline design on your property.

Getting started with Green Shores for Homes

Follow the steps below to get started:

Why get Green Shores certified?

Additional resources

Earth’s resources are important to manage and conserve, and electricity is a resource that should be used wisely.

Learn how much you use

Things you can do

Switch off and unplug:

Upgrade:

Simple energy saving tips:

Incentives:

Rather than coastal armouring structures such as seawalls and riprap, which degrade over time, disrupt natural shoreline processes, deflect wave energy, and are vulnerable to sea level rise, nature-based solutions can be used to protect our shorelines and the communities along them.

Protecting the Upland

Plan for sea level rise

Undertake Restoration and Implement Nature-based Solutions

Case Study: Weaverling Spit Restoration Projects

Considering a project involving some or all of the above strategies?

The key to having an environmentally friendly wardrobe is to buy new products less often – and to refrain from participating in the wasteful fast-fashion industry.

Contribute to the circular economy

Shop thoughtfully

Make the most out of what you already have

Beautiful native gardens enrich your surroundings while supporting local biodiversity - including pollinators and bird species.

The Many Benefits of Native Species

Getting Started

Removing invasive species

Plant Lists and Guides

Be(e) Pollinator Friendly

Some Native Shrubs and Trees to Consider for your garden

Okay, I’ve chosen my native plant species! Now, where do I buy them?

Why stop at native plants?

Microplastics, defined as plastic particles less than 5 mm in length, are everywhere. Although they are tiny, microplastics are a growing concern as an environmental pollutant, especially in marine ecosystems.

What can you do?

Learn more:

Shallow coastal habitats are critical for Pacific Salmon, especially when juveniles first migrate to saltwater. They use shallow nearshore areas for refuge and finding food, and during this period, healthy eelgrass meadows and complex habitat are vital.

The best way to protect the shallow coastal habitat is to avoid building docks in the first place.

If you must build a dock, make it salmon friendly. Here’s how:

As a homeowner, you have an opportunity to enroll your site in Green Shores^® for Homes and work with qualified professionals (biologists, coastal engineers, and environmental specialists) to develop and apply a nature-based shoreline design on your property.