World Environment Day was celebrated around the earth on Saturday 5 June 2021.

Since 1974, World Environment Day has been commemorated every year on 5 June, engaging governments, businesses and citizens in an effort to address pressing environmental issues.

The theme for this year was #GenerationRestoration.  We know we can’t turn back time, but we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change our diets and clean up rivers and coasts.  We are the generation that can make peace with nature.  World Environment Day encourages us to get active, not anxious, be bold, not timid.

Source: Pexels – Free Stocks Org

The World Environment Day website is a fantastic resource for all of us.  It’s a great place to learn about the environment and some inspirational initiatives that have been happening around the world with an environmental and ecosystem focus. We encourage everyone to check out the “Journey Through Ecosystems” section which allows us to explore forests, reefs, deserts, peatlands, mountains and why they matter to us.

Some of the things we can do to help our environment include getting into gardening, grown your own vegies and herbs, reducing food wastage, try composting, shop wisely, choose sustainable products, plant a tree, reduce your rubbish by choosing less packaged foods, reuse as much as possible, organise a clothes swap, and general recycling – take stock of all your rubbish and try to recycle as much as possible.

Learn more here:  www.worldenvironmentday.global

Image source:  Pexels – photo by Belle Co.

World Ocean Day was held on Tuesday 8 June 2021

World Ocean Day is another international day that takes place every year. On World Ocean Day, people around the world celebrate and honour our one shared ocean that connects us all.

The purpose of the day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilise and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.

World Ocean Day aims to unite and rally all of us to protect and restore our blue planet!

Just like national parks help protect animals and habitats on land, marine protected areas help safeguard areas of the ocean and marine animals.  Did you know . . . only 7% of our ocean is currently protected, yet scientists say we need to safeguard at least 30%?

Healthy and resilient oceans and coastal communities are critical for a thriving blue economy that creates jobs and safeguards our nation from the impacts of climate change.  There is a global movement promoted by World Ocean Day supporters and organisers to protect 30% of our blue planet by 2030.  This is the 30×30 proposal.  A healthy ocean is a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis.  By supporting 30×30, we can protect our planet’s life support systems – specifically the interconnected issues of ocean, climate and biodiversity.

The World Ocean Day mantra is ‘One Ocean, One Climate, One Future – Together’.  The organisers have some excellent resources for schools. Click here to access them for your school or home.

Sign the 30×30 petition while you’re there.

Rubbish on beach.  Source:  sergeitokmakov / pixabay