CWF Challenges 1-10

CWF Challenges 1-10

 Week 1: old Christmas Tree
If you have a real Christmas tree, ‘tis the season to think about taking it down. Instead of putting it at the curb reuse it instead. Take it out to your yard, re-decorate it with popcorn, suet, and birdseed. As the tree starts to break down, the needles will fall into your flower beds or garden adding nutrients to the soil. The birds, chipmunks and squirrels will take shelter in its boughs, and get a good meal from the food you’ve "decorated" the tree with.

If you don’t have a yard or a tree set up some bird feeders to help out your feathered friends weather the harsh winter months.

Week 2

Break ice on puddles in the winter so animals can get a drink.

Week 3: Learn About Wildlife

Learning about wildlife is an important first step in becoming involved. Getting outside and becoming an observer of life around you is a good way to begin. Try to incorporate nature hikes to a nearby park, wetland, or woodlot into your regular schedule. Or use these cold winter months to hunker down and do some reading about the wildlife you see in your neck of the woods. For tons of information about Canadian wildlife visit hww.ca.

Week 4: Avoid idling your vehicle for more than one minute

Instead of letting your car idle, turn off the ignition. It uses less gas and emits less CO2 to stop and restart your car than to let it run. In fact, idling uses twice as much gas as driving! If every driver in Canada avoided idling for five minutes a day, we could prevent 1.6 million metric tons of CO2 from being emitted.

week 5: Lower your thermostats
Lower the thermostat by three degrees in winter and you can save up to 10 per cent on your heating bill. A common myth is that when you reduce your thermostat for only a few hours it will take more heat to bring your home back up to the desired temperature. This is not so. You will save money and fuel because your heating system will not have to keep your home so warm. Wearing that sweater never felt so smart!


Week 6: Avoid products with disposable plastic packaging

Animals have been known to die after swallowing plastic debris or becoming entangled in plastic six-pack holders. Always recycle your plastic products.

Week 7: Change your light bulbs 
Changing just one traditional incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb results in savings of over $45 during its lifetime. Each bulb uses one-fourth of the energy of an incandescent bulb, lasts up to 10 times longer and the energy saved keeps CO2 out of the atmosphere.

N.B. for those who may have questions about CFL's please refer to the following sites:
Scientific American (mercury in CFL's)
Snopes (toxins)
Natural Resources Canada (Impact Study)

Week 8: Choose your recreational activities wisely

Consider cross-country skiing and canoeing instead of snowmobiling and motor boating. These activities are quieter so they don’t disturb wildlife, and they increase your chances of seeing wildlife. Remember that loud noises in winter disturb animals at a time when they need to rest and conserve energy.

Week 9: Feed the birds

Put out suet and fat mixes to keep birds warm and give them lots of energy.


week 10: Make a warm winter home.
Recycle woody debris, such as fallen branches and clippings from pruned shrubs and trees, to create shelter for songbirds. Brush piles not only provide year- round cover for birds, they also are excellent nesting sites for small mammals and invertebrates. If you don’t have the space, consider letting a corner of your yard grow wild.


Don`t forget to make you donation via my personal page (I`m only 13% towards my goal...) - this could be my Xmas gift...:
http://donate.cwf-fcf.org/goto/tiggeric

You can read more about CWF, it's 50th anniversary and the challenges here:
http://www.cwf-fcf.org/en/about-cwf/50th-anniversary/the-anniversary-challenge.html

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