Happy Earth Day from Bawah Reserve. The theme for this year’s Earth Day is climate change, a topic very close to our hearts, and one – we believe – of the greatest and most immediate challenges to the future of humanity.
While April 22, 2020 is the official date marking 50 years of Earth Day. As they say and as we think; it’s Earth Day every day. Here are some things we are doing to fight climate change and some ideas for you to celebrate this beautiful planet with us.
The easiest way to celebrate Earth Day is to get as close as possible to the Earth as you can.
So slip off your shoes and let your feet feel the grass, soil and sand around you. Walking
barefoot in the grass can decrease anxiety and depression. Not able to get outdoors? Step to
the nearest window, close your eyes and feel the sunshine on your face. Listen to the wind
pass through the trees and take a deep breath of fresh air. This mini-respite will help ground
you and put you back in touch with nature, even if you’re stuck indoors.
We are always amazed at how much the Earth gives us when we harvest vegetables from our
permaculture gardens. Permaculture is the development of agriculture that is meant to be
sustainable. Considering our remote location, we try to grow as many fresh fruits and
vegetables as possible on our islands. Currently, these account for 30% of the produce we use
in our restaurants, and our goal is to get to 60% within a year. Learn more about our
permaculture gardens here.
Consider planting a small herb garden. These are easy to maintain, and you can use the herbs in everything from cocktails to sauces. The fragrant smell of fresh herbs is a wonderful reminder of the goodness that comes from Mother Nature.
Another simple, but effective way to honour the Earth is to schedule a meatless meal once a
week. It’s estimated that meat and dairy production are responsible for 14% of global
emissions.
Going vegetarian – even just one day of the week – can make a huge difference.
Gado Gado is one of our favourite Indonesian dishes. It means “mix-mix,” and it’s so hearty
and delicious you don’t even notice that meat isn’t one of the ingredients. For a great recipe,
click here. And why not add a spicy sambal to it using our recipes - click here.
Earth Day is a good reminder that our resources are finite and that anything we can do to save
them is a step in maintaining what we have. On Bawah, energy is a key priority in our
sustainability programme. We heat all our water via solar panels and are exploring expanding
our system to increase our use of solar power in the future. To learn more about our water
processes, click here.
To save some energy at home while relaxing your mind, start a digital detox at home. Have a
blackout evening with no electronics; read a book, take a bath or play a board game instead.
We take conservation seriously and have several programmes in place to protect our marine
life and environment. At Bawah all waste is recycled, paper is mulched, unused food is
composted, and we are happily plastic free. We hold a beach clean-up every Sunday and
encourage guests to join the staff to see what washes up on our shores. Sadly, products float
in from as far away as Europe.
Think about what you use at home and how it can be reused or recycled. Take it a step further and set time aside to collect rubbish in your local area and take what you can to the local recycling centre.
Make a commitment on this Earth Day to make a small change to benefit the world.
- Say no to bottled water; carry a reusable water bottle instead.
- Plant something – herbs, a tree or a whole garden. Anything you can do to add more nature
to the world is a good thing.
- Use your car less and walk, cycle or take public transit more. Use the time to read or
listen to an audio book or podcast along your commute and relish the time to yourself.
- As much as possible choose seasonal, local food. Your local farmer will thank you.
Finally, make a pledge for climate change at the World Earth Day website by writing about
what you did for the planet.
https://www.earthday.org/actions/create-your-own-act-of-green/
To read more about our sustainability projects at Bawah Reserve, click here.
https://blog.bawahreserve.com/sustainability-at-bawah-reserve