June 5 is World Environment Day when the world hopes for a brighter future for the planet. A day when people around the world plant trees, clean up neighbours and local nature areas. A day when governments announce various initiatives and strive to do more for the environment. The theme for this year is with nature.
Today in Mumbai, India, people will plant 500 trees after spending 18 months removing more than 5.5 million kilograms creating one of the world’s biggest cleanups by taking back Versova beach to make a difference. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited the clean-up as inspiration for a massive overhaul of India’s waste management system. Starting 5 June, he said authorities will install colour-coded litter bins in 4,000 towns across India to encourage people to recycle.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will double the size of its protected areas, with the establishment of eight new sites, totalling 150,000 hectares. It is also one of 10 countries worldwide making it easier to connect with nature by offering free entrance to national parks. Canada has also granted free entrance passes for the whole of 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary at our national treasures from coast to coast to coast.
So what can you do as a landscape architect or company today?
Inspire
The way to make a difference is to Inspire people whether they are your staff, partners, suppliers about make the world a better place at work, and at home.Through design as landscape architects we can inspire others to see the value of nature and benefits of creating great places for everyone.
Inform
Share and inform people through face to face interaction or through your social media pages(use #withnature & #worldenvironmentday) about the positive aspects of nature and how everyone can make a difference by cleaning up, planting trees, using the car less and many more small steps that add up to bigger action. As landscape architects we often have the platform as professionals to inform the public, partners and governments about nature and the role it plays in our cities.
Impact
By Inspiring and Informing people as landscape architects we can create impact and a better environment and world for everyone.
Today is a day that you can be heard and be proud of landscape architects as a profession and look to the future with a positive outlook.
