The most recent lockdown period has been underway for a number of weeks now and once again the country is pulling together by staying apart. We hope you are enjoying some down time and whilst social media is awash with lockdown challenges and home workouts, we thought we would put together a list of great excuses to keep you away from your phone and off the exercise mat, that you’ll reap the rewards from long after the levels are lifted.
1. Plant some seeds!
September is a great time to sow the seeds for some delicious veggies. You can sow root vegetables like carrots and beets directly into your garden. For tomatoes, capsicums and veggies that love warmer weather, now is perfect to sow the seeds in indoor pots, ready to transfer to the garden for the summer once they’re showing a couple of leaves! No garden? No problem! Delicious herbs like basil, rosemary and oregano (plus loads more) all thrive indoors and are super easy to keep by the window!
2. Learn one vegan recipe!
You don’t have to be a budding Peter Gordon or Monique Fiso to add an impressive vegan dish to your toolkit, and with no risk of undercooked or over-aged meat, there’s far less chance of your dinner guests waking up in the night to fight over the bathroom. We are all aware of the effects industrial animal agriculture has on the planet, so why not use lockdown to arm yourself with one tasty meat free dish to impress your Whānau and friends once we can get together again?
3. Clear the clutter!
If you’re anything like me you might have a few clothes in the wardrobe that have been in lockdown for a lot longer than we have. Those flares might never come back in and if they do, then surely we’re all a bit wiser now. Please don’t leave things outside charity shops before they’re able to re-open, but lockdown is a great opportunity to sort through things you no longer use, ready for them to find an appreciative home! You can find your nearest clothing bank online and they are ready and waiting to take your clothes, even in level four!
4. Write to your local MP!
Greenpeace is a people powered movement and believes in the strength of individuals coming together to make positive changes in the world. We all have the right to stand up for the changes we want to see, locally and nationally, environmental or otherwise. Writing to government officials is a powerful way for your message to be heard and the more people we have shouting about the issues which require systemic change, the louder we are. Why not use lockdown to write a note to your local MP or Mayor calling on them to help clean up our lakes and rivers by supporting a ban on synthetic nitrogen and intensive winter grazing, help reduce plastic pollution by supporting a container return scheme in your area, or help protect the oceans by supporting a ban on bottom trawling?
5. Make your will!
Making a will is an important part of financial planning and if it’s one of those things you’ve been putting off for a rainy day, then why not use lockdown to make a start? Having an up-to-date Will is, of course, vital to protecting your family’s future but many also choose to leave their legacy in other ways too. After providing for loved ones and friends, many people are now choosing to leave gifts in their will to the causes they feel most strongly about. Leaving a gift to any movement or organisation is an incredible commitment to your life’s passion and is such a powerful legacy to leave. Ten percent of Greenpeace campaigns are paid for by donations made through people’s Wills. If you’d like some information on different types of gifts people choose to leave to Greenpeace or want to have a chat about legacy giving, find out more here.
Donating to Greenpeace in your will has a powerful impact. Find out how to bequest a legacy to protect the climate, oceans, fresh water and land for future generations.