I am regularly asked about concrete steps that we can all take to help save the places we love. I have offered strategies for a specific campaign in one of the early blog posts. But there are things we can all do that will help each of our favorite places, the whole country, and planet. Here are a few of the steps to take. If we all did them it would make a difference. So let’s start in our backyards and then make the effort to encourage others to take these steps as well.

 In your home and backyard

1. Turn off lights, unplug chargers, and insulate your attic
2. Buy less, reuse what you have, and recycle or compost the rest
3. Convert lawns to meadows and plant native shrubs and trees
4.  Install rain gardens to allow rain to filter into the ground

At the office

1. Become a leader and support sustainability initiatives
2. Encourage waste reduction, reuse, and recycling
3. Identify means for reducing energy usage
4. Manage natural areas around your office

In the community

1. Vote for the environment
2. Ask for (or demand) sustainable options when making a purchase
3. Join and support local efforts (stream pickups, education, tree planting, lobbying)
4. Pick one place to save, restore and maintain (e.g., a creek, forest, lake, or meadow)

Take-a-way: “We don’t have to be perfect but we do have to act.”