Inspired by Nature

Inspired by Nature

Making World Environment Day Mean Something Every Day

Every year on the 5th of June, the world pauses to mark World Environment Day, the United Nations' largest global platform for environmental awareness and action.

This year’s theme, Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future., reminds us that environmental action does not only belong in policy rooms or at international summits. Inspiration begins right we are: in our homes, our gardens, our schools, our communities and our shared wild places.

And when we talk about “our future”, we are really talking about our children.

They are the ones who will inherit the rivers, forests, oceans, farms, towns and wild spaces we leave behind. They are also the ones who can grow up seeing nature as something they belong to and have a role in protecting.

People are far more likely to protect nature when they feel connected to it, and that connection does not grow from facts alone: it grows from relationships.

Here are five things you and your family can do to celebrate World Environment Day,  every day.

Go Outside and Pay Attention

It sounds almost too simple, but there is a profound difference between being outdoors and being present outdoors.

On World Environment Day, make a deliberate choice to slow down in a natural space. This can be a garden, a park, a riverbank, or even a drive out to a stretch of coastline.

Leave the phones in your pockets, sit still for a few moments and notice what moves, what calls, what smells and how it feels to just be in nature. Caring about our natural world and I mean really caring, has to come from a genuine place of felt connection to nature. We are not separate from nature, and once we feel that, our caring comes from a far richer place, which can and does inspires others.

With kids: Encourage their curiosity and show a genuine interest in their questions. It’s amazing how many of our scientific studies begin with childlike questions: what makes a worm a worm? Why do swifts and swallows build mud nests? How do bats navigate in the dark?

One fun activity you can do with your kids is a nature hunt: give them a list of simple things to find, like a feather, something round, something a bird would eat, a Y-shaped stick. Just remind them not to break anything, or touch any animals or insects, or uproot any plants. Explain that we are observers and always want to leave things exactly how we find them in nature. Take photos of the things you find, or draw them, and most importantly, let them inspire questions.

Learn One Local Story

South Africa is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth. We have endemic species found nowhere else in the world, unique ecosystems shaped over millions of years, and indigenous knowledge about the land that runs deep.

We also face significant pressure on our wild spaces and wildlife.

This World Environment Day, take time to learn about local indigenous lore and seek out even just one local conservation success story. These could be a traditional belief around medicinal plants found in your area, or a threatened habitat being restored, or a community getting together to protect a species after a storm or fire.

With kids: Choose one local species or habitat, learn its story, draw it, write down three things it needs and choose one small action your family can take to help. Plant something indigenous, keep cats indoors at night, pick up litter near a stream and avoid using poisons.

Then, share what you learned with someone else.

This is how local knowledge becomes local care.

Global problems can feel paralyzing, especially to children and seeking out  local success stories inspire us and give us hope.

Reduce One Thing, Meaningfully

Climate action, at its heart, is about rethinking our relationship with consumption. We do not need to overhaul everything at once, but we do need to start and keep going.

Choose one area where your household can genuinely reduce its impact. Food waste, single-use plastics, electricity consumption or water use. Choose one, do it properly and let it become normal before adding another.

With kids: Let them choose the household challenge. Children who feel agency over a real problem become teenagers and adults who believe their choices matter and their actions matter. Frame it as a family experiment: "Let's see how much single use plastic we can avoid this month."

Individual action is not enough on its own, but collective individual action, multiplied across millions of households, is exactly how culture changes.

Spend Money in Ways That Support the Living World

Every Rand we spend is a vote for the kind of world we want. On and after World Environment Day, look at one area of your spending and ask: does this support or undermine the natural systems I value?

This might mean buying local, seasonal produce, choosing a product with minimal packaging, supporting a small business that operates with care for the environment, or donating, even a small amount, to a local conservation or wildlife rescue organisation.

With kids: Talk openly about where things come from and where they go. A simple question like, "How was this made and where will it go when we are done with it?" builds systems thinking and environmental literacy at any age.

When we align our spending with our values, we send signals to producers, suppliers and policymakers about what a healthy future looks like.

About the Author

Shireen Freeman is a Wildlife First Responder and humane educator for Grace Valley Wildlife Rescue and the Wild Ways Learning Centre, based in the Overberg. She runs public workshops in wildlife emergency response and is developing the Wild Ways Kids Academy, an online platform offering conservation and humane education for children, teens, and educators. She serves on the board of Greyton Farm Animal Sanctuary. www.wildways.org.za

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