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Newsletters >
May 2023 Children and the Spruce Initiative
May 2023 Children and the Spruce Initiative
May 13, 2023
At the Spruce Initiative we put safety first. The Spruce Initiative practice is not recommended for children under the age of fifteen without out parental permission and supervision. The reason for this is that younger children don’t have the attention span nesecary to safely engage in the practice.
At the Sruce Initiative we advocate engaging in a daily walk practice aimed at cleaning up the planet one piece of rubbish, one day at a time and planting one tree annually. Our strategy is clean and green. Every day when you are out on your daily walk pick up just one piece of rubbish and dispose of it appropriately. Remember to follow the safety guidelines. Wear gloves or use hand sanitiser and wash your hands with soap and water for twenty seconds when you reach your destination or before food consumption.
Parents please be responsible for your children’s’ safety. As a grown up practitioner I have on occasion picked up something without thinking later to realise it was something that was better left to a professional cleaner. Wearing gloves would have solved this problem though that does take the spontaneity out of the exercise.
Many types of rubbish, paper and plastic, are relatively safe to pick up when you follow our safety guidelines. Most rubbish falls into these two categories. Candy wrappers and bottles or cans are other common pieces of rubbish. When you pick up soft plastics you are potentially saving the life of a marine creature as they can mistake plastics for food and accidentally ingest them. You are also keeping the waterways clear of debris as most rubbish on the street eventually finds its way there.
Foil lined candy wrappers and snack bags may also be mistaken for fish by marine creatures and picking up these may save a marine creature’s life. Every time you pick up rubbish and dispose of it appropriately you are helping to keep our environment clean and healthy.
Boy Scouts are encouraged to do a good deed every day. This is a good habit to establish Picking up a piece of rubbish and disposing of it appropriately is a good deed which helps everybody. It shows community spirit and it leads one to take responsibility for one’s actions and choices..
We suggest children not pick up glass bottles and especially remember not to pick up broken glass with their hands. Picking up broken glas requires a dustpan and brush or a vacuum cleaner. You should alert your local council of any dead animals and the police of any suspicious packages.
It is a good idea to have a tetanus shot if you are picking up rubbish outside. All of that said, practising being aware of your environment and engaging in taking care of that environment helps a person to become a mature and responsible community member.
Another good habit to establish is the annual planting of a tree. When we pick up rubbish we clean the environment. When we plant a tree we green the environment and give something back to Nature. Trees beautify the environment, provide oxygen and shade. They provide wildlife habitat and may also provide food.
Why not make it a family tradition to plant a tree every year? Establishing family traditions help us to celebrate our lives on the planet and honour the passage of the seasons. Join us on January’5th each year and promise to plant a tree for International Spruce Day.
Remember our motto is clean and green. One piece a day sends the rubbish away. Don’t just clean let’s Spruce!
Cheers,
Felicity
Clean and green is our motto. Remember: one piece a day sends the rubbish away! Don’t just clean let’s Spruce.
www.thespruceinitiative.info
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