BY: COURTNEY E. TAYLOR MARCH 19, 2023

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With worldwide focus on climate change and how that will effect our environments, how do we talk to kids about conservation in a way that doesn’t scare them or bore them?

This may seem like a tall order.

Climate Change feels like this big scary thing that no one person can tackle. But that isn’t true. Although 100 corporations are responsible for 71% of pollution and the warming of our planet, we as individuals have a lot power and we have control.

We can each start taking steps to conserve and protect our own environments, and we can teach our kids the same. That one action, compounded by each of us, adds up to a ton of impact.

But how do we talk to our kids about land conservation? How do we get them involved and empowered?

To start with, we have to explain what Land Conservation is in terms they can understand. Make it fun! Do activities which center around being outside.

We have to KISS (Keep It Simple Silly).

So what is “land conservation” anyway?

Land conservation is the practice of preserving and protecting land and its natural resources for the benefit of all living things. It involves protecting wildlife, trees, and other vegetation, as well as the air, soil, and water of a particular area.

Simple enough right?

Here are some of the things we recommend to break this down for kids to make it fun and personal.

     1. Share books and stories about how land conservation has helped a particular species or area, and explain why it is important to protect the environment.

A good example of this is butterflies. We all know how critical pollinators are to maintaining healthy vegetation and who doesn’t love butterflies?

Here is a book we recommend: Butterflies Are Pretty Gross by Rosemary Mosco (Tundra Books 2021). Available on your favorite book buying website.

     2. Go visit places like an animal sanctuary, or land sanctuary.

If you are sticking with the butterfly theme and live in an area that has a Butterfly Experience, go there. Make a day of it and make sure to have fun!

     3. Have them draw pictures of what they think a healthy ecosystem looks like, or have them take a walk and observe the different plants and animals they see.

Using the butterfly example, have them draw pictures of butterflies. Use all the colors!

Take a trip to the above mentioned Butterfly Experience or sometimes your local zoo will have a Butterfly Garden for visitors to enjoy.

     4. You can also involve them in land conservation activities like helping to clean up a local park or planting trees.

When we get involved in our own communities, it creates a sense of belonging and responsibility. It makes us proud to live where we live.

When kids can help clean up a park, for example, they also get (relatively) immediate satisfaction. They can see that their effort makes a visible difference. They can look at a place and say “I did that!”.

It’s also a good excuse to get a little dirty and have fun. Who doesn’t love that? Explaining to kids why land conservation is important to make sure that we have an engaged next generation. Giving them the opportunity to personally get involved helps them understand the importance of preserving our environment.

Have fun and remember to KISS! If we all do a little bit, it will add up to a lot.