Couple of years ago, was at one of my customers and noticed six polystyrene boxes filled with sprouting seedlings. “Wot's all that about?” I ask, all ignorant. “Part of the Trees for Life Project” 'e sez.
Mm, think I, then looked it up on the web.
It's a relatively long term project – six months – and whiffled a bit since tenure in the house that I live in is relatively insecure, but this year decided 'Ah what the heck ..”.
Rang them a couple of months ago, signed up, and today was “pick-up” day, the day to collect the seeds.
Kept a sober Saturday night, and drove to the pick-up point at 9.30am this morning. Made fool of self by taking photos and rabbiting profusely on about global warming and how pleased i was to be able to do something, however small.
Am a “newbie” so was only given four boxes.
The “kit” consists of Four polystyrene boxes filled with sterilised soil.
4 small bags of gravel.
4 packs of 60 black plastic tubes.
4 small bags of slow release fertiliser.
4 “species ID/batch" tags.
1 face mask.
4 small plastic bags with seeds of indigenous plant species.
(2X bags of Acacia rupicola, 2X bags of Allocasuarina verticillata).
..and a comprehensive book of instructions on how to raise the things. Eeek!.
I know, i know. Probably a futile and egocentric gesture with regard to climate change. Only one tiny step .. but hopefully these tiny seeds will live on, long after I'm gone.
More updates as the project progresses.
2 comments:
When you discover something that helps save the planet that you really enjoy doing (or are motivated to do from self-interest) it is never futile. On the other hand, when it is done from a feeling of guilt and do-gooding, it can be a complete waste of time - e.g. driving several miles to recycle a few bottles, when the use of petrol exceeds any possible ecological benefit.
The countries which do the best recycling are those in which people make their living from picking over garbage which has been dumped in huge landfill sites, as they do in India and Brazil, for example. (Of course I am not happy about the extreme poverty and child labour which is involved in this.)
Yves, I often wonder whether "child labour" might be one solution to the proliferation of "teenage hoons".
Have just spent nearly 2 hours filling 12 tubes with soil. Only 238 to go. Am seriously thinking of enlisting one or two of the kids next door to give me a hand. The seeds are supposed to planted by 24 November.
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