Small changes to make a big difference

· Grow plants and tend soil This will increase the number of places on our planet where carbon can be stored.

· Enhance the health of your soil Opt for low-till and no-till methods of gardening and use cover crops and mulching.

· Overthrow, overgrow, or reduce your lawn Mowing your lawn for one hour using a gas-powered lawnmower produces the same amount of emissions as running 11 new cars for an hour. Reduce your lawn and use a rotary push mower. Turf grass requires huge amounts of water to keep it green, a resource we need to conserve.

· Grow your own food It’s estimated that the average distance your food travels before it’s consumed is 2500 kilometres – and this transportation inevitably involves burning fossil fuels. Becoming less dependent on store-bought food will eliminate this while saving on packaging.

· Turn food/yard waste into compost The compost will provide the earth with microorganisms and nutrients. Or feed food scraps to chickens and get eggs in return. It’s estimated that nearly half of all landfill in NZ is compostable material – but once it’s in landfill it produces methane, a greenhouse gas.

· Plant natives Native plants have been evolving since long before we were around and can handle conditions such as drought and extreme temperatures, so require less resources.

· Eat local and seasonal Buy from farmers’ markets or local growers if you aren’t able to grow your own.

· Collect rainwater Install a rain barrel and use it when needed. You could also consider setting up a grey g water system.