She’s Teaching Us to Go Green
For families that travel, it’s all the more important to stay grounded when we are at home. Environmental educator Lacie Weaver shows us how.
Lacie Weaver of Teach Go Green.
Families that love to travel know all too well the concept of bringing ‘home’ with us on our adventures.
It could be packing your little bub’s favorite stuffed animal in his backpack, or your daughter’s dolphin water bottle she uses every day— anything that brings the familiar to the exciting journey ahead. Whatever ‘home’ means to us, it’s important to stay centered and grounded wherever we are, which also means instilling a love of the planet in our kids.
Lacie Weaver, environmental educator and creator of the popular eco-parenting blog Teach Go Green, shows us myriad ways to encourage families to live more environmentally-friendly with her effortless and joyful eco-parenting tips— from going zero-waste to using ingenious sustainable swaps— giving us new inspo for how we can travel, parent, and most importantly, pass environmentalist torch to our little ones.
We caught up with her just in time for Halloween where she shared a few of her sweetest and spookiest eco-friendly tips.
HT: How did you start your journey to becoming an environmental educator, and how does that play into your inspiring blog and content creation with TGG?
LW: My journey started my senior year in high school. My AP Environmental class was tasked with reading the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. It changed my life. For the first time I realized my actions have an impact on the environment. I immediately began implementing small changes in my life. When I went to college and realized I could also major in Environmental Science, I knew I had found exactly what I wanted to do.
I’m able to use my degree and work history to share exactly how I implement eco conscious living in my life and inspire others through environmental education on my blog and social media.
We’re always looking for simple and engaging ways to inspire kids to care about the environment, both at home and on-the-go. How do you teach your kids to be environmental stewards?
One of the most important things I do to teach my kids to be environmental stewards is leading my example! Kids are always watching and listening, it’s how they learn. Practicing environmental stewardship and incorporating eco friendly practices in your life is the best way to teach your kids. It normalizes living with the environment in mind.
“1. I am teaching my children how to be environmental stewards.
2. I am a role model for my family and community.
3. My children and I can make the world better.”
It’s autumn in the northern hemisphere, and many families around the world are looking forward to holiday season. Do you have a few simple tips for keeping things eco-friendly for, say, Halloween?
Yes. For Halloween I would say thrift costumes if you can! Last year we were able to get my son a brand new costume at the thrift store for $10. If you’re passing out candy, try to give out candy in paper boxes instead of plastic wrappers. Go for candy like nerds, milk duds, and junior mints. These boxes are recyclable, unlike plastic candy wrappers. Finally, do a litter cleanup the day after Halloween! There are often lots of littered candy wrappers and costume pieces left on the ground after Halloween. Litter on the ground becomes trash in the waterways. Gather a bag and pick up litter in your neighborhood to keep it from polluting waterways.
What was your most recent favorite family adventure— either locally or further afield?
Recently we traveled to Miami! This was not only our first family vacation, it was our first vacation in three years. I was nervous to fly with two toddlers, but it was such a great trip! I tried to keep our trip eco friendly by packing lots of snacks in reusable containers and bringing our own water bottles. The kids had a great time and I’m looking forward to our next vacation after the Christmas holidays.
Can you share a few tips for keeping things eco-friendly when your family travels? (Can also just be an outing to the park, or a day trip around town!)
My top tip for eco-friendly travel is using reusables - packing reusable containers for snacks, bringing reusable bottles, reusable straws, and utensils. This will cut down on the amount of waste that can easily accumulate while traveling. It’s also a great money saver.
How can we keep in touch with you and support your work?
To keep in touch with me on the daily, follow me on Instagram and Tik Tok!
For more eco tips and inspiration, visit my blog at teachgogreen.com or follow me on Pinterest.
