Spring has sprung here in Queensland! I have loved seeing the flowers bloom across the neighbourhood, the birds swooping amongst the leaves and the dragonflies dancing across the water pools. đ
But itâs so dry.
The grass is peeling away, lifting dust up in the wind. The leaves of the native grasses in our local reserve are curling inwards as they defend against the burning sun and parched ground.
The statistics are stark: Australia has just had itâs warmest winter on record, with a temperature 1.53°C above the 1961â1990 average. Here in Queensland we were the hottest of them all, with our temperatures 2.32°C above the winter average. And it doesnât end here: with our first El NiĂąo in eight years just declared, we can expect a hot, dry, and scary summer.
This is probably not news to you. And you probably already want to do something about it. But what can we do if others around us donât care?
This is where nature connection comes in.
Many of my family members donât care about climate change, but they definitely care about nature close to them. We might not be able to talk about climate change at family gatherings without being sucked into the black hole of conspiracy theoriesâŚ. but we can definitely talk about how nice it is to:
Walk in the local reserve up the road
Or go out to the farm to see the river
Or swim in the sea.
đ¸ Despite our differences, we all connect to nature in some way.đ¸
This connection which can bring us together, and slowly help people turn away from the polarisation of climate change towards shared values and love for nature.
As the Nature Connection Handbook tells us:
âResearch shows that the closer we get to nature, the happier we are, the more worthwhile life seems, and the more we are willing to take action to help our wildlife and the environment. In the context of the problems our climate and wildlife are facing, closer relationships with nature are more necessary than ever before.â
This weekâs action set provides a smorgasbord of opportunities to help others learn and connect to nature. Because who knows? Maybe someone you share these actions is a climate activist of the future, just waiting in the wings today.
What can you do today?
The most-clicked link from last weekâs issue was the call for Minister Plibersek to fix our environmental laws. Despite her promise to reform these âbrokenâ laws, she continues to approve new coal and gas mines. Sharing this 350.org petition will help keep the pressure on!
đ If you have 5 minutes:
Building nature connection often means getting closer to nature in our own local areas. Once we value and care for these areas, we may be more motivated to help protect them, especially if they are under threat. Find out if your local area is a deforestation hotspot and share the info with others in your community.
Action: See the impact of land clearing in your local community by exploring the online interactive map. Then use the online form to send an email to your representative in Federal Parliament and tell them to protect our native forests and threatened species.
Farmers live in and around nature everyday, and many of them are outraged by the damage fossil fuels are doing to land, water and climate. Show your support for farmers who have been fighting to save their land from coal and gas companies by signing their petition.
Action: Sign the Farmers for Climate Action petition telling the government to stop subsidising coal and gas companies and support farming families that are working hard to protect nature.
đ If you have 15 minutes:
If youâre in Queensland then you probably know a kiwi. Not the bird kind, but the person kind! But did you know that New Zealand heads to the polls this weekend to vote? As our friends at Climate Club Aotearoa/NZ note âIpsos found that 81% of people are concerned about climate changeâ. However, there are still lots of New Zealanders living in Australia who donât know how to vote for climate.
Action: Forward the Climate Club General Election Guide to help your kiwi friends, neighbours or colleagues learn how to vote for climate this weekend.
Queensland Conservation Council is Queenlandâs peak environment organisation that helps groups across the state better protect nature together. They are currently looking at ways to help reach more audiences and better communicate with members, volunteers and First Nations stakeholders.
Action: Complete the anonymous QCC survey to help them better understand how they are currently viewed and what could be improved.
đđ˝ If you have 30 minutes or more:
With a hot, dry winter just over and a hot, dry summer coming up, we need to conserve our resources and adapt to our changing climate. And where do we see this need play out the most? In our lawns. Luckily for us the people of Gotland, Sweden have opened their âworldâs ugliest lawnâ competition to the world. They want to make it cool to save groundwater by changing the norm for green lawns. Not only that, they are offering a grand prize of a preowned t-shirt to the global winner with the ugliest lawn! Watch the video and get your entry in before November 2023.
Action: Take a photo of your dry, hot and ugly lawn and email the picture to uglylawn@gotland.se or post it on Instagram with the #worldsugliestlawn hashtag.
As the threat of development continues in Moreton Bay, South East Queensland, it is more important than ever to show people what will be lost should the mega-development at Toondah Harbour go ahead: the paving of a local paradise. This internationally protected wetland plays a critical role for migratory birds, while acting as an important carbon sink to helping protect against climate change. Bring family and friends to this fun and informative event to help raise awareness and a stronger connection to nature!
Action: Join BirdLife Australia and Toondah Alliance at the Welcome Back Shorebirds Festival to welcome back shorebirds from their epic migration on Saturday 14th October from 1pm. RSVP here.
Thatâs all for today, folks đđ˝ Thanks for taking action. See you in two weeks!
Robyn plus Malcolm, Ron and Jan - The Climate Club Qld team
We live, work and play on the lands of the Yuggara and Turrbal people in and around Meanjin - Brisbane. We pay respect to their Elders, past and present, and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded - always was, always will be Aboriginal land.
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