Water Wise Watch - July 2023
01.07.23
Nelson Mandela International Day 2023
To honour Nelson Mandela's life and accomplishments, July 18 has been recognised as Nelson Mandela International Day. This day gives each of us the opportunity to recognise our particular potential to influence the world around us.
The theme for this year, which is: "Climate, Food & Solidarity", addresses some of the most pressing issues affecting people globally. This year, the focus is on eradicating poverty and inequality while combating climate change and establishing secure food environments.
What can you do?
- Plant trees- As cliché as it may sound, planting trees is significant in preventing climate change and improving air quality. You can participate in a community tree-planting event, or arrange one yourself.
- Organise/join a clean-up initiative in your community- You can join organisations that are already doing this and spend the day picking up and properly disposing of litter.
- Reduce plastic waste- Keeping in line with the theme of this year's Environmental Day, #BeatPlasticPollution, you can use Mandela Day to raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and you can promote the use of reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and shopping bags.
Sources:
nelsonmandela.org
mandeladay.com
Kanguru Children's Home: training and site evaluation
As part of the work that we do at Water Wise, we visit community groups that have an interest in or have established vegetable gardens in order to educate them about the water wise way of gardening. We focus mainly on water conservation techniques in vegetable gardening.
This month, the Water Wise team visited a community we work closely with in Garthdale, called Kanguru Children's Home, in order to educate them about various ways in which you can utilise compost in your garden and the various benefits of composting to both the growth and yield of your produce, and how composting can assist you with preserving your garden during the Winter.
Composting is a very effective way to recycle the organic waste generated in a household. By providing organic matter and assisting the soil in retaining moisture and nutrients, this natural process benefits the soil's structure and health. When Winter comes around it can become very easy to neglect your compost, so here are a few tips on how you can keep composting in Winter:
- Keep your compost warm- this process relies heavily on heat, so it is important to maintain a high temperature during this Winter. You can do this by insulating your compost with an old blanket/tarp or by moving it to an area that is exposed to sunlight.
- Shred your garden waste- chopping, or shredding your garden waste can actually speed up the process of composting in Winter as smaller materials decompose more quickly than larger ones.
- Limit how many times you turn the compost- turning the compost frequently will release the heat stored and will prolong the process of decomposition.
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Sources:
lomi.com
compostmagazine
Cover your pool to save water
Covering your pool has various advantages. Firstly, evaporation from the pool can be reduced by up to 90%, which means that instead of having to top up your pool every few days, especially during the hot summer months, you'll only have to do it once a month, if not less. Secondly, because the pool cover captures the bulk of falling leaves and debris, your pool will require less cleaning and the filter will be used less frequently. This is especially beneficial in the winter when your pool is not in use. Covering your pool can also assist with protecting your pool from extreme cold temperatures in the rare case that you fancy a swim in the winter time!
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Sources:
ecooutdoor
The Spruce
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14 July: Shark Awareness Day 14 July: World Chimpanzee Day 15 July: World Youth Skills Day 16 July: World Snake Day 18 July: Nelson Mandela Day 28 July: World Nature Conservation Day 31 July: International Ranger Day |
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Beyond Montreal: six months after deal to halt biodiversity loss, where are we? "In the six months since the Cop15 summit, some significant environmental agreements have forced nature up the international agenda, but there have also been setbacks to achieving the aims of..."
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| Hot days, angry dogs: How environmental factors influence canine aggression "In a recent study published in Scientific Reports, researchers explore the association between an increase in dog bite incidents in eight cities in the United States and environmental factors such as temperature, ozone, and air pollution with..." |
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