Operation Earth + We Are Guardians Tour 2023

We’re so grateful to the Adrian Swire Charitable Trust for supporting our Operation Earth + We Are Guardians Tour around the South West from June – November 2023! Have a look at our impact report for more details about the project, the feedback we received and how we ran each of the events.

Here, you can find links to further resources from this project:

Seedling care

Did you plant some seeds of change with us? Click the link above to understand how to look after your seedlings. If you want to make more newspaper plant pots, have a look at the guide below!

Operation Earth

Find out more about Operation Earth – the original project and resources designed by the Association for Science and Discovery Centres and the Natural Environment Research Council. There are lots of resources and activities on the project website!

We made some printable information sheets to accompany the hands-on activities – feel free to download a copy. If you’re embedding them into a digital resource, we’d appreciate you linking back to this page so others can find the original source – it also helps people hear about our work!

What is biodiversity? It means having lots of different (diverse) types of plant and animal (biological) life. Why is it important? All life on planet Earth is connected - and dependent on everything else! Including for food... reproduction... shelter/habitat... and oxygen! A biodiverse ecosystem is more stable and resilient to change - like the effects of climate change.
Biodiversity: what can we do? In our own spaces (windowsills, gardens, community green spaces) we can help to provide food, healthy habitats, and shelter to insects (and other plants + animals)! Why insects? They're one of the lowest levels of the food chain, and they have an important role in pollinating food crops, and decomposing plant and animal matter.
Biodiversity: what can we do? There are lots of other things we need to do as a society, like helping to re-wild landscapes, avoiding chemical pesticides on crops, roadways and green spaces, and reducing pollution. But helping insects in our own spaces is an important place to start! More inspiration: see wildlife trusts action for insects guide, the wild about gardens lawn bioblitz guide, or make a pledge for nature with north devon biosphere.
Make a newspaper plant pot! Wrap the newspaper round the end of the jar (leaving half above the rim to wrap round)... fold in the newspaper on the inside to make the base... pull out the jar a little and pinch around the edges, to help keep the newspaper together. Remove the jar... and you're done! Fill it up with compost and add in some seeds!
Go peat-free! It's really important to use peat-free compost - peat bogs are an important habitat for wildlife, and when kept intact, they store huge amounts of carbon, critical in tackling climate change. Unfortunately, a lot of compost sold to the public still contains peat extracts from these precious habitats, leading to habitat destruction and carbon emissions. Luckily, peat-free compost is just as effective and is becoming more available. Read the label carefully, and go peat-free to do your bit!

Although this project is complete, we’re excited to be taking what we’ve learnt from this project into the Our World From Space programme, launching at the end of 2023! We’ll also be including the We Are Guardians film in this project too, so stay tuned for more opportunities to experience it.

Find out more about this project in our impact report!

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