Every little thing we do can be magic.
It is all about choices.
Some are easier, some are harder.
Make your choices. Make your changes.
It all starts with A Bee See.
1. I saved a bee...
When I went to give the chickens fresh water this morning I found a bee floundering frantically in the bowl.
Little bee wasn't going to make it so I offered my glove and it hopped aboard.
A few minutes in the sun and then off it buzzed.
Bees are important, but they are having a hard time these days.
Every bee counts.
We received our Bee Saver Kit from Friends of the Earth today. This includes a 'Bee Spotter Guide'.
I hadn't realised how many types of bees there are in the UK. This one I think was a Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris).
If you have a bit of space in your garden plant some bee friendly flowers - you can get inspiration from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust...
2. Ecover refilling
We use Ecover washing up liquid as an environment friendly option at the kitchen sink.
One of the big attractions is that our village shop offers a refill service so we can keep reusing he same plastic bottles. That's a big fat win for the planet.
I got another refill today. As well as helping the planet, refilling also saves about 35p on the new bottle cost.
I think it was 35p but I got distracted talking to the owner of the shop. She is retiring and has been trying to sell the shop (and post office that comes with it) for two or three years now, but without any luck.
She is worried the shop will have to close if she cannot sell.
I asked if she had considered the option of it becoming a community shop as has happened with another village shop nearby.
She hadn't, but thought it was worth thinking about.
3. Triodos is go
Today I got an email to say that my current account with Triodos Bank has been accepted.
I am really happy about this as getting a Triodos account has been on my to-do list for quite some time.
Being with a bank that only lends to "organisations that make a positive impact on people’s lives, protect the planet, or build strong communities" is definitely a happier place to be.
The Triodos Current Account has everything a 'normal' current account has including a contactless Debit Mastercard made from 100% renewable resources such as plant leaves and corn.
Next up I am looking to move my business account to Triodos as well...
4. Another green investment - Pavegen
I'm really rather getting into small scale investing in green start-up businesses.
Crowdcube is my go-to at the moment for this, but Triodos Bank also offers some investment opportunities but less frequently.
I have already put a small amount into Good Club and Sun Harvester.
Today I picked up on Pavegen, a company offering "a breakthrough smart city technology that converts footsteps into electricity and data".
It really does look like a very clever idea and is attracting some serious investment interest...
Of course this is all just my personal whim and fancy - and most definitely not financial advice etc etc.
5. The Daily Donation - Bumblebee Conservation Trust
After rescuing the little bee today, I thought it appropriate to make a bee related donation.
A quick search on Ecosia.org (check it out) brought up the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
I had not heard of them before but it appears they do much needed work looking after Britain's bumblebees.
You can start with the little things like saving a bee.
Then just work up from there.
[ header image from unsplash.com // other images from @pennsif ]
Awesome. I came across this after reading @cryptocurator 5 things for marginal gains.
I like your list and hope that refilling shops become more prevalent, as these obviously reduce our consumption of packaging. There is a good one in my home town of Bury St Edmunds called 'Clear to Sea'. Have you heard that you can help tired bees with a spoon full of sugary water? I've done this a few times with tired city bees! I'll do my own 5 things sometime soon!
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