The Power of Small Things

Small things

Hello, and welcome to my little post about small things! Little things can make a difference & we can too 😊

Have you made the switch to plastic free shampoo bars? I’ve been using them a while now & enjoy trying different ones. I like Garnier’s Ultimate Blends Oatmeal Shampoo Bar. Because I have sensitive skin it helps soothe the scalp & stop the itch! You can also get a kiddy ‘no tangle’ shampoo bar too for the little ones. https://www.garnier.co.uk/hair-care/shampoo-bars

Another one I’ve been trying recently is the Aussie Koala Bear Shampoo Bar. This is so cute sitting in my soap dish & lathers up really well with a nice soft foam. There’s a ribbon to hang it up too (keep away from running water when not in use). https://aussiehair.com/aussie-products/shampoo/nourishing-hug-solid-shampoo-bar/

Another thing I’ve been trying lately is Dr Beckman’s Magic Leaves Detergent Sheets for your laundry. https://www.dr-beckmann.co.uk/products/magic-leaves-bio-25-sheets/ They dissolve quickly into water even at low temperatures & can cut out plastic bottles altogether.

I found if you add one sheet you don’t get much scent so I added two without a fabric conditioner, but the fabric was still left feeling a little cardboardy. My conclusion is that due to the water quality in our area, that some sort of water softening is required!

Previously I had tried the washing ball called Eco Egg which our local supermarket now stocks. The idea is that you use the egg for up to 50 washes so don’t need a whole line of plastic bottles taking up room in your cupboard (you buy refill pellets to add in to keep the product going).

I didn’t like these as the ball makes an awful clonking noise through the whole wash & the scent was non existent. Plus it takes up space in the washer that the magic leave sheets don’t so I do prefer the sheets to the ball, in fact I gave away the ball + refill for someone else to try!

I've also tried Method Kitchen Spray refill. Available in a tiny bottle the size of my hand, this is strong enough to make up 10 bottles using water & re-using an old spray bottle. The citrus & mango one we tried so far & the smell is divine!

Caught the bug? 

Talking of small things it has been lovely to see bees & butterflies in the garden this year but we have noticed a drop in numbers. I saw mostly small white butterflies, even though we have a large selection of flowers including allium, buddleia, clovers, daisies & home made wilfdflower seedballs, plus we leave parts of our lawn to grow wild.

We avoid using any pesticides in the garden & leave out shallow bowls of water with bug hotels dotted around (for solitary bees). The butterfly watch survey results will be published later this September so will be interesting to see what the trend is countrywide.

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If you want to help bugs in your garden why not check out https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/gardening-for-bugs/ for some ideas. 

Don’t forget the hedgehogs need our help too. Encourage them into your garden with a small gap in the bottom of your fence for them to travel across spaces. You can map your hedgehog friendly gardens on this site https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/. Why not get the kids involved in designing a wildlife friendly space around your lawn.

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Remember, remember the 5th of November & remember the hedgehogs too. Make sure they’re not hiding out in log piles, if you’re planning to light a fire on fireworks night. 

Meanwhile next year why not take part in a Butterfly Count? You can load an app on your phone to help with recording & identification. You’ll be an expert before you know it! https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

If you have a wild space you can record your patch in the following site: https://wild-spaces.co.uk/. Folks with just a patio or window box are encouraged to take part too, we can all do our bit to help wildlife thrive & be(e) strong!

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According to bug life, 8 out of 10 wildflowers rely on insects for pollination. Our crops depend on insects too.

Don’t forget that hover flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wild bees (including solitary bees) & honey bees can all help with pollination so a good range of bugs in your garden can all help!

Did you know also that 25% of native UK beetles are pollinators too as they like to feed on pollen & nectar? More useful tips here at: https://earthwatch.org.uk/blog/the-different-types-of-pollinators-and-why-we-need-them/

Video on wild spaces:

A cool idea for bringing more insects into your garden is planting wildflower seeds. Pollenize is a company that sells a blend of 34 native seeds & grasses with an extended flowering season. Once planted they’re encouraging businesses & citizens to record their planting on an interactive re-wilding map https://www.pollenize.org.uk/seed-map.

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If you don’t think your little space helps why not check out ‘The Every Garden Matters’ report? They say ‘green corridors begin at home’.

Small gardens can connect wildlife as they move from one garden to another. We built our houses in their way, maybe we can give back a little to encourage nature to return. https://gardenorganic-assets.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/documents/Every-Garden-Matters-report.pdf

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The organisation ‘State of Nature’ writes regular reports on wildlife & habitat decline in the UK. Can be depressing but also a reminder on how we can (& must) do more to turn things around.

If you want to help out with insect & wildlife counts in your local area then their site has a list of organisations they work with, including bat counts, mammals, butterflies, birds & marine life https://stateofnature.org.uk/

People’s Trust for Endangered Species are also keen to encourage spotters who can record their findings – from stag battles to hedgerows to water voles - check out their site for ideas: https://ptes.org/get-involved/surveys/ 

Old from new

So what else have we been up to? My hubby has been busy growing tomatoes & chillies & I love to grow herbs. I decided to venture into micro herbs this year. Re-purposed plastics can be good for this (we’re not against plastics but wish to cut down heavily on single use plastics, finding a new life for old is always a good).

Old tubs can be used as containers for growing seedlings. Drill a whole in the bottom of one tub & add some chord. Put water in the bottom pot & the plant with chorded hole next level up & it becomes self watering as the water soaks up the chord.

Cut the top off the upper half of a lemonade bottle & you have an instant cloche which can be watered from the top. Or you can even use an old cleaned Ziploc bag as a mini greenhouse placed over the top. 

Meanwhile, you can use old margarine pots as a micro herb grower (see photo above). You can even turn lemonade bottles into a make shift vase!

A new project for self is to make something ornamental for the garden using old medicine spoons. I have donated old spoons to an artist for paint stirring but built up more since. I have plans to create a flower using the spoons as petals – let’s hope I’ll get around to it some time!

Stocking up for Christmas!

Meanwhile, there’s only a few months ‘til Christmas so I’m pleased to announce that our Christmas shop is now open! I make cotton fabric crackers with seedballs & a poem inside or cracker sleeves so you can make your own crackers using loo roll. Add your own mini gifts inside. They can be used time & time again & can be washed & ironed if they get mucky paws on them!

We also have washing up cloths of various designs that can be composted as they’re all made from natural materials. Plus fairylight bottles made from upcycled whisky, gin, rum & wine bottles. The batteries can be replaced keeping your gift going for longer & helps to light up a Winter’s eve.

New for this year, get a 12% discount on multiple items in your trolley. 

💬 Quote SAVE12 to get the discount when checking out 

Meanwhile enjoy that last little bit of summer, it’ll be soon time to get out your winter warmers!

Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas:

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Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!

Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

 Homemade Items for Sale 

 

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The Carbon Cycle - Boom or Bust?

Is Carbon Friend or Foe?

🌼 Carbon is a necessary part of the planet. Plants rely on CO2 for their ability to grow & the planet needs a certain amount of CO2 to trap in warmth. The carbon exchange between humans, oceans & plants is usually well maintained but with human intervention imbalances can occur.

The Carbon Cycle, A Foundation of Life

Carbon is stored in the ocean, rocks, fossil fuels & plants. In a carbon cycle, plants can absorb CO2 to survive (by way of photosynthesis) & release carbons when they rot down & die. 

Large forested areas can become carbon sinks and absorb more carbon than they release.  

Conversely, when fossil fuel such as coal, oil & gas (known as a carbon source) are burned they release carbon emissions high into the atmosphere causing untold damage to the environment, which then depletes the health of the planet & those who depend on it.

If trees are depleted by deforestation this adds to the problem of too much CO2 floating around in the atmosphere as they become less able to lock in carbon at ground level.

Land needs good peat cover & tree cover to help it keep carbon locked in. In oceans, plankton, mangroves & sea grasses can help keep carbon locked in too. When these natural environments are depleted they release carbons instead of locking them in creating the problem to escalate out of control.

An example is peat, which in good condition works exceptionally well as a nutrient rich, diverse landscape holding in both moisture & carbon. Peat bogs hold twice as much carbon as trees & are an important force in helping the battle against climate change. 

When they dry out the nutrients are lost & carbon is released back into the atmosphere. In dry poorly conditioned bogs, fires can also spread destroying the habitat & causing more damage to the environment by the release of warming greenhouse gases.

The National Trust are working hard to protect peat land areas & the government have stepped in too.

There are plans to invest over £50 million in peatland restoration as part of the Nature for Climate Fund, this will help to restore at least 35,000 ha of peatland by 2025.

According to the government, ‘In the UK it is estimated there are over 3 billion tonnes of carbon stored in peatlands, equivalent to all of the carbon stored in the forests of the UK, Germany and France combined.' 

The UK government are also banning the use of peat enriched compost products from 2024. This will help prevent the loss of this important carbon sink that has been around for thousands of years.

Did you know, the UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world?

Moves have been underway to increase urban forests & encourage planting of hedgerows across the country. It’s awful to see the statistics in this BBC article showing the wildlife species being lost in the UK.

Farmers can help by changing their techniques for managing land to prevent over farming, which leads to soil depletion furthering the release of carbons into the air. 

A term called ‘regenerative farming’ may involve planting more hedgerows, rotating animal stock around different fields (so they’re not being over grazed) & planting wildflowers which help to add nutrients & lock in carbon. 

This can also encourage biodiversity in the landscape due to the additional tree, hedgerow & wildflower planting & may bring a return of our UK species most at risk.

It’s great to see that £500 million of the UK Governments £640 million Nature for Climate Fund will be dedicated to trees. 

Schools & local communities can also help by applying for tree packs & hedgerow packs from the Woodland Trust. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/

You can also do your bit in your own garden – check out this link for some tips on what you can do at home: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220610-how-to-turn-your-garden-into-a-carbon-sink

Blue Carbon - It's a Thing!

Another source of carbon sink often overlooked is sea grass. Projects have been underway to replenish much of the sea grass around British shores. This has an added bonus of adding refuge for fish & sea mammals which helps to add a diverse population. Diversity is key - if one plant or animal species dies out due to disease, others may be able to increase their numbers.

According to the Wildlife Trust ‘Seagrass captures carbon at a rate 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, and account for 10% of the ocean’s total burial of carbon (despite covering less than 0.2% of the ocean floor).’

Did you know that whales can also play a part in reducing global warming? Whale poop drops to the bottom of the ocean which leads to an abundance of vegetation helping to lock in carbon - the phytoplankton then feeds the whales in return – a win win!

Sequestering carbon & locking it into our seas is known as ‘blue carbon’. Helping to keep this carbon capture healthy is dependent on us looking after the oceans whether that be by protecting & planting sea grass or increasing whale & phytoplankton populations, they all have their part to play & so do we!  

For an in depth look at blue carbon & its various sources go to:
https://www.edf.org/article/what-blue-carbon-and-why-it-so-important

30 by 30 - The UK government have joined a global alliance of 73 countries to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030 - more in the link below: 
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/global-ocean-alliance-30by30-initiative/about 

A Few Things Happening in May

Embrace No Mow May* – it’s a good way to let nature recover from our desire to manicure everything. 

Justin Moat, a researcher from the Kew Gardens Nature Unlocked programme quite rightly says "We need to put up with scruffy lawns!" 

I love seeing the small flowers pop up, a blast of colour sometimes – we have whites, blues, purples & yellow which is cheery in my eyes. Insects would agree.

Dandelions for example create extra nutrients for the soil, food for bees & butterflies & you can even make a very easy cup of herbal tea.

*For more on No Mow May head on down to the link below: (it’s a good excuse to put ya feet up!)
https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/

Meanwhile in this year’s Chelsea Flower show – a third of the gardens will be show casing weeds!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/apr/25/chelsea-flower-show-gardens-rebrand-weeds-hero-plants

🌳The National Hedgerow Week (8-14 May 2023) is another one to look out for this May https://hedgelink.org.uk/

Pus save 12% at our online shop throughout the month of May 💚

Some terms explained

What is net zero? We can achieve net zero by reducing carbon emissions - those that are produced can be offset by planting trees, protecting peatland areas & improving the quality of the oceans, which will help to create a net effect.

Carbon negative – where more carbon is removed than created.

Carbon neutral – where the carbon emitted is offset by the amount absorbed.

Carbon intensity – a measure of how clean our electricity is (ie how many grams of CO2 are released to produce 1 kw hour). For example fuel from fossil fuels is much more carbon intensive than fuel from green energy.

A ‘when to plug in’ app can indicate the best times to run appliances – for example weather is unpredictable & there may be more solar energy on sunny days or wind power on windy days! The app can help you find the best times.

During ‘high peak times’ of the day more electricity will be taken from fossil fuel supplies; running appliances at lower peak times may increase the likelihood of greener energy being used. 

Carbon sequestration – this can be biological sequestration (absorption & storage of carbon via trees & the ocean) or geological (via rock formations). We can also capture carbon using various man made methods below:

Carbon dioxide removal - Techniques on the table include everything from direct air capture or bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (CCS) to biochar or enhanced rock weathering. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230321-ipcc-the-rising-need-for-negative-emissions

Direct Air Capture (DAC) – removal of carbon from the air which can be stored underground or recycled. Check out some companies looking into direct air capture in the UK.

Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) – similar to above, carbon is captured within a production plant, for example in a pipeline before being stored or re-used.

Biochar – heated plant matter can be added to soil as a soil improver which enhances carbon capture & moisture retention.

Blue Carbon - Carbon that is captured & stored by ocean and coastal ecosystems.

Green Concrete – building works normally emits carbon but some developments have been made in producing green concrete that may help to absorb carbon. Also plants in city areas can help cool the buildings down.

Carbon Footprint - Your carbon footprint totals how much carbon is released into the atmosphere as a result of your everyday activities. Check out this footprint calculator produced by the WWF.

 🌍 Some Useful Links Before You Go! 

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/carbon-cycle/

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/carbon-sources-and-sinks/

https://www.edf.org/article/what-blue-carbon-and-why-it-so-important

https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2022/02/a-greener-planet.html

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220610-how-to-turn-your-garden-into-a-carbon-sink

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