Your green space 

If you have a garden, why not grow your own fruit and vegetables or repurpose an area of land for rewilding?

By letting wildflowers grow throughout the year, biodiversity can thrive – improving key ecosystems and natural pollination processes. This will help bees, insects, birds and other wildlife to maintain their habitat and ensure the ecosystem is in balance.

Growing fruit and vegetables or having chickens in your garden for eggs can significantly cut your dietary carbon footprint. Each is also a fun and engaging project to enjoy with family and friends and can help you save money.

Having a greener garden can increase the volume of water that can be absorbed and drained, which can protect your property from flooding. Essex is particularly susceptible to flooding. Paving your garden can dramatically increase your risk of flooding following extreme weather events, which are projected to increase. 

Composting

Composting is a brilliant way to use your garden as a carbon sink. A carbon sink absorbs more carbon than it releases. It’s a chance to turn your food waste into soil – a thriving ecosystem for insects and bugs.

Composting will also help to reduce your carbon emissions, as there is no need to transport and process organic waste. Instead, your waste can be used as a valuable soil improver that you can use in your garden.

To help Essex residents start composting at home, Love Essex offers tips and subsidised compost bins. 

Allotments

If you don’t have access to a garden, perhaps consider applying for an allotment. There will be information on your local council’s webpage.

If an allotment is impractical, window boxes for fruit and vegetables are alternatives that anybody can benefit from. You can grow your own produce without needing a garden. 

Tree planting

Tree planting is another way to take action on climate change – a mature tree can draw carbon from the atmosphere.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) publishes advice on best practices for tree planting in your garden.

You can also get involved in local tree planting in your community with the Essex Forest Initiative. The planting season is during the winter months, and when dates are available, you will find them listed here.

Exploring the great outdoors

Why not explore and connect with Essex’s beautiful countryside and country parks? Download the GoJauntly app and visit the Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership for some brilliant walks (and how to get there). Spending more time outside, especially in the countryside, is a great way to boost your physical and mental health.

The Explore Essex blog is a brilliant source of inspiration – full of reasons to get outside, suggested routes and how to make your garden more wildlife friendly. Check it out!