Summer Sustainability Checklist

Go for a picnic, but remember to avoid using plastic  

Here are some great websites giving tips on how to have plastic free and zero waste picnics! 

• 9 Easy Hacks For A Waste-Free Picnic 
• How to Have a Low-Waste Picnic 
• Britt’s Plastic-Free July experience 

Take a break from your electronics and go out for a walk looking for local wildlife 

• 6 of the best walks in Oxfordshire

If you can’t bear to be away from your phone, there are apps you can download to encourage your family out the house for a walk! 

• 20 apps to get you out and about 
• 8 Fun Apps to Get the Whole Family Exploring the Outdoors 

Visit some local attractions 

Rather than travelling abroad via plane this summer, why not try and visit local attractions and sites. There may be some you have never seen before! Check out this list of hidden gems you might not have been to in Oxford.

Go paddle boarding or surfing; they are the most eco-friendly water sports  

Why not ride the green wave and take part in these water sports that reduce the plastic pollution in our water bodies? These sports also cause less damage to water beds and riverbanks. Ways to be an environmentally friendly surfer and paddleboarder.

Go wildlife spotting - download a spotting sheet and see what you can find 

Below is a selection of spotting sheets you can download and try out with your family! There are so many more to download online so be sure to search for more:

• Wildlife Trust Resources 
• Countryside Classroom Resources 
• Oxford’s Wildlife Trust – How to be a nature detective 

Try helping your local pollinators by planting some flowers or setting up a bee house or insect hotel 

Your local garden centre should have a specific section for the best plants for pollinators.  

Making a bee house or a bug hotel is a larger feat, so here are some DIY guides on different houses you can make: 

• Build a Bee Hotel 
• How to build a bee box 
• Build a bug hotel 
• Build a bug mansion 

Go camping, even if it’s in your own garden  

When camping it's important to be aware of our surroundings and be sure not to damage the environment you stay in – it is a perfect time for reflecting on your own actions and what you can do to be more sustainable! Our best eco tips are: 

• Pick up every piece of rubbish you drop 

• Use eco-friendly toiletries 

• Use solar-powered gadgets 

• Leave the campsite as you found it 

Make a homemade light trap to attract insects 

Light trapping is a great way to learn more about the wildlife living in your local area. It's easy, fun and harmless to the insects involved. 

Plant some fruit, veg or herbs in your garden or indoors  

• Grow your own vegetables 
• Grow fruit and vegetables indoors 
• Vegetable planting calendar 
• You'll be growing fresh basil in absolutely no time! 

Start composting or even go the worm bin route!  

• How to start composting 
• Try your hand at worm bins 

Have a zero-waste food night

The rules are, all ingredients must come packaging-free or in biodegradable packaging.

• 7-day food waste challenge 
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle plastic packaging 

Explore your community by bike

Switching to walking or cycling for more of our shorter journeys helps to protect biodiversity. It creates less noise, less air pollution, and results in fewer emissions that are warming the atmosphere. Cycling can also be an opportunity to explore new parts of your area on cycle paths, for example, along the canal in Oxford. Check out these suggested cycle routes along former railway routes.

Try plogging!

Plogging is zero-waste activity where you go for a jog as you normally would but bring a bag with you and collect as much litter as you can!  This is a fantastic activity to clean up your local area. If you don’t fancy doing it alone, there are local organisations that offer group plogging. Remember to protect yourself when handling litter.

• GoodGym in Oxford 
• GoPlogging
• A Beginner’s Guide to Plogging 

Join in a community beach clean-up 

Look out for beach cleans in your area organised by individuals, community groups, and national organisations. 

Fancy trying to organise one yourself? Learn how to organise a community beach clean up.

Have a conversation with a family member or friend about sustainability 

Here are a few suggestions of topics to discuss: 

• WWF’s topics for discussion 
• Group discussion topics 

It would be great to make a record of your conversation as one of 26K Climate Conversations. 

Listen to a sustainability podcast 

• Oxford’s sustainability podcasts 
• Conservation Optimism podcasts 
• Oddbox’s favourite sustainable podcasts 

Read a book on sustainability 

We are reading Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, Wilding by Isabella Tree and Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells. Have a look at the Blackwell's and Waterstones websites for popular suggestions.

Share an eco-tip with someone you don't know!  

Whether it’s on social media or in person, sharing eco-tips is always valuable.