Happy World Environment day! Today is the day where we should acknowledge that the world around us is changing, and only we can work together as collective to make sure that it’s for the better!

I arrived home late last night – from a fun filled birthday trip to London – with a sleepy but determined head on. Even after just two days in the capitol, I could see how vastly different life in the city is; to my quaint surroundings of a small Cornish village. In some ways I recognise that the convenience of London, with its choice of shops and restaurants, means it is easier to live to any prescribed lifestyle you choose. In just one small section of the city, I had the choice of numerous vegan restaurants, eco shops and amazing world food supermarkets. If there was something I needed, no matter how obscure, I could find it in London!

But arriving home to Cornwall last night – where you need a car to get anywhere, and in most places your shopping choices are the local newsagents or an Asda – I realised just how easy it was to be mindful of the environment when you have such little distraction, except the stunning countryside you seek to protect. I may not have access to worldly eco supermarkets or amazing vegan restaurants to help me live a green lifestyle; but I do have a constant reminder of why it’s so important to me, every time I step outside my front door and see the beauty of our planet.

For some unexplained reason, being in London made my think inward toward myself rather than out into the world. Instead of noticing the subtle changes of the weather, the seasonal plants or natural biodiversity of any area – as I might do in the countryside – my mind instantly wandered toward the traffic, to my appearance and to what I wanted to purchase on my credit card. It can be so easy to get caught up with everyday distractions – relationships, work, friends…materialism – that you can often miss just how beautiful and important our environment is.

As World Environment Day is all about recognizing the environmental challenges we face together and taking steps as a collective to make an impact, I’ve decided to pledge to do one of their challenges to help me live more sustainably AND appreciate my surroundings. As I already walk to work, am working on cutting down food waste and am an avid plastic dodger; I am going to do the Connect to Go Greener and going to attempt to grow a kitchen garden!! Eekk This may some time for me to even work out where to begin (remember…my intentions are green but my fingers are not!) but I like a challenge! Staying true to my beautiful surroundings I will attempt to grow some fresh herbs and flowers/plants which are particularly local to this area of Cornwall. Watch this space!

Whether it is to organize clean up campaigns, food waste reduction initiatives, walk-to-work days, plastic bans, tree-planting drives or simply recycling more – every action counts. When multiplied by all of us, suddenly you have something really impactful, inspiring and totally worth the effort!  How about you Take the challenge now and tell me how you get on!