Little eco footprints

Why did we wait so long? - Barrington Tops National Park

Barrington Tops National Park is a place we've been meaning to visit for years. We recently popped in for a wander along some of the Gloucester Tops Walking Tracks.

I can't believe we waited so long to visit this magical place. It's only a few hours north of Newcastle, so we'll definitely be back to explore more of this World Heritage listed National Park.

I fell in love with the majestic old Antarctic Beech forest.

Little Eco and I couldn't help but imagine fairies living under the mushrooms and within tree hollows. I'm convinced fairies truly do live in that forest. Can you see the fairy in the photograph above? I can ;-)

Is there a place in your neighbourhood that you've been meaning to visit for years? Whats stopping you? Perhaps you could visit this weekend?

Warrumbungles National Park and the Crooked Mountain Concert

Have you ever seen a more magical backdrop for a concert?

The Crooked Mountain Concert in the Warrumbungles National Park was the initial motivation for our current travels.

It well-and-truly didn’t disappoint.

I’ve wanted to go to this annual concert ever since learning of its existence a few years ago. As soon as I heard that the Black Sorrows were the lead act, I decided this year had to be the year.

Full moon. Camping. Roasting Marshmallows. Playing in a creek. Mud art. Down time. Bush walking. Purely magical!

Want out find out about other National Park events? For NSW National Parks check out the Wild Wild World website. I’ve just spotted a few nature crafty events that Little Eco would love: creating Birds and Boomerangs. For other states: Vic, SA, WA, NT, Qld, Tas and ACT.

Are you a fan of visiting National Parks? Have a favourite? My favourite (I think, as its hard to choose just one) is Crowdy Bay National Park.

We need to be careful about how we discuss the environment with our children

“..the endlessly repeated message that nature is dead or dying just encourages people to step back from the natural world, the way someone distances themselves from a friend with a terminal disease.”  Richard Conniff

Why would the children of today want to get to know nature? We show them pictures of environmental destruction and remind them regularly of all the species threatened with extinction. We send them a message that nature is polluted and on her way out.

They have been told their whole life that the environment is being destroyed, so why would they think otherwise? Why would they think that they can change that?

Instead, let’s remind our children of how beautiful, magical, and powerful nature is. Let’s show them why nature is worth saving and let’s tell them that they have the power to save her.

{There's only a few hours left to enter the Eco Dream giveaway. Entries close midnight tonight}.

How big is your ecological hand print?

I often feel that too much emphasis is placed on decreasing our ecological footprint. Even if by some incredible miracle, the entire global population began living within the means of our planet overnight, nature would still be stuffed.

Soils would still be contaminated, rivers would remain polluted, native animals would continue to be preyed on by exotic pests and disease, native plants would continue to be displaced by environmental weeds, threatened species would continue to be driven to extinction by the impacts of habitat fragmentation, CO2 would still be elevated, and climate change would still be happening. The earth we leave our children would still be poorer than the one we inherited.

Restoring and conserving nature requires us to do more than decrease our ecological footprint. That's why I love the concept of an ecological hand print.

What is an ecological hand print?

In contrast to your ecological footprint, which describes your negative impact on the planet, your ecological hand print represents your positive impact. Your ecological hand print is your contribution towards a sustainable future. It describes the good you have done for the world.

"The best one can get with a footprint is no impact at all.
The potential of a hand print is unlimited.”

John Biemer, 2009

I hope to have little eco footprints and a HUGE eco hand print, or at the very least have a hand print that is bigger than my footprint.

How to increase your ecological hand print

There are many ways you can increase your ecological hand print. For example, you can inspire others to act, educate, help restore a patch of bushland, campaign for change, or join a local food movement. The options are endless.

I'm sure many of you already have a nice looking ecological handprint. Could it be bigger?

An activity to celebrate World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day. It's a day for celebrating positive environmental action and provides the perfect opportunity to think about your ecological hand print.

Simply sit for a few moments and think about what you are already doing to help the environment, and then give some thought to how you could do more.

If you feel like putting pen to paper, try this activity suggested by John Biemer:

"Draw outlines of two hands on a sheet of paper. Near each finger of the left hand, write down one of your environmental accomplishments. It is okay to give yourself credit for signing consciousness-raising save-the-whales petitions. On the right hand write down five ways you want to create sustainability. Intentions can be powerful, especially when witnessed. Share your picture with a friend."

I'll be celebrating World Environment Day today by co-ordinating a community tree planting day within an important patch of bushland. The photos accompanying this post were taken on Friday, when Little Eco and I had the pleasure of helping 85 school students plant trees. Talk about crazy!

Enjoy your World Environment Day :-)

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.