Taking Action Against Climate Change

Growing up in Vermont, I was immersed in a culture of environmentalism before I understood what that even meant. At age 5, I was part of a “kids against pollution” club where a group of friends and I got together on Sunday afternoons and sauntered around local parks recording strangers talking about their perspectives on the climate crisis. We were accompanied by an ambitious mom who perhaps thought folks might be more responsive to such controversial topics when approached by a group of disarming 4 to 7-year-olds. While at the time I assumed I was simply playing with friends and meeting new adults, I understand now that we were stimulating important conversations about an exponentially urgent issue.  

Reading the news about wildfires burning the Earth’s lungs (i.e., forests), hurricanes sinking our largest cities, floods and droughts leaving our fields fallow, plastic islands and warming temperatures damaging the once flourishing ocean life can leave us feeling helpless and overwhelmed. But action can be a cure for discouragement. I view this crisis as a more manageable problem when I remember that it is caused by humans, and therefore, I can make a positive impact by taking specific daily actions to help the environment.  

Finding community can also help alleviate some of this eco-anxiety. Together we are stronger. Together we can commit to making the changes needed to preserve our communities and the flora and fauna we know and love. Start by finding something that inspires you. You can walk through the Gardens, noticing a plethora of pollinators on each flower, or the spring crocuses bursting through the hard ground from winter – there are countless wonders just outside, and the first step is noticing and appreciating them.

Today, I am honored to work with an organization committed to making necessary changes for the health of the planet and its inhabitants. From regenerative agriculture practices at Chatfield Farms to sustainable water management to installing a solar farm for renewable energy, Denver Botanic Gardens demonstrates that organizational change is possible. At Chatfield Farms, low-till methods are used in the chemical-free vegetable garden, allowing healthy organisms in the soil to thrive while preserving nutrients. The Gardens then distributes this sustainably grown produce at pay-what-you-can farmers markets. These initiatives demonstrate what can be accomplished when organizations work together. 

 

This article was written by Facility Custodial Technician Jo Kennedy.