Exploring Trails: Sustainability During the Holidays

The holiday season is a joyous time of year filled with beautiful traditions, time with family and friends, and the sharing of gifts. This is also a time that increases the amount of energy and waste we generate. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to embrace ways to reduce our carbon footprint by making some eco-friendly choices. Embracing sustainability during the holidays is not only a responsible choice but also a meaningful way to contribute to the well-being of our planet.

Engaging children in an eco-friendly holiday season can be both educational and fun. Sharing eco-conscious values can help them understand the importance of contributing to a collective movement toward a greener future and celebrate the holidays by making choices that benefit our loved ones and our planet.

To make this a learning adventure, we had the kids come up with eco-friendly holiday gifts. We discussed sustainable gift-giving and came up with green gift-giving ideas like creating handmade gifts such as personalized cards, crafts, and drawings to share with family and friends. The focus of our discussion was the sentimental value of a gift.

Another great idea shared was valuing experiences over things. Some gift ideas shared by Nate and Nayeli were a cooking class, a pass to a museum, state and national park passes, concert tickets, and hiking the trails and other fun outdoor activities within our community. These are all ideas that help reduce material consumption and create lasting memories for all.

We decided to wrap our gifts with DIY wrapping paper.  Creating wrapping paper using paper bags, cloth material, and old newspapers is a delightful way to add a personal touch to our gifts while reducing waste. This also allowed us to repurpose the material we had at home.

This holiday season is a time for gratitude, reflection, and joy. By incorporating sustainable practices into our celebrations, we can ensure that our festivities are not only memorable but also environmentally responsible. By blending in sustainable practices, we can inspire our next generation of “eco-elves” who understand small actions can make a big difference in the movement toward a greener future.

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Let the holiday magic be not just in the decorations and presents but also in the joy of giving​ back to Mother Earth. Here are a few more ideas for sharing a greener holiday season with your loved ones:

• Donate gently used goods.
• Shop Local for gifts.
• Plant a tree in honor of a loved one.
• Use energy-saving LED holiday lights.
• Add organic and local foods to your holiday meal.
• Recycle holiday trees or use potted trees.
• Create handmade and do-it-yourself gifts.
• Purchase eco-friendly and locally made gifts.
• Stuffing holiday stockings with natural treats.
• Carpooling when you visit family.
• Making a green New Year’s resolution.

 

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Written by SMGA member Christina Casas-Moreno.