As the seasons change, so do our habits and overall lifestyle routines. The days get shorter and our lives as students get increasingly busier. We tend to get overwhelmed as midterms approach rapidly and looming due dates sneak up on us. In all this chaos, it is easy to adapt to more simple, easy ways to try to save some valuable time that we seem to have so little of right now. However, there are some essential sustainability tips to keep in mind as the weather and seasons change!
Eat Local
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Choosing to support local farms, whether you look for local signs in the grocery store, obtain directly from the farms, or make it to the weekly farmers market, local is the best way to go!
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The Boulder Farmers Market will go until November 20th every Saturday from 8am-2pm.
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By choosing local, not only is it the most sustainable way to get your produce and fruit and other goods, but it also ensures that you get better quality and in season vegetables and fruits.
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Fall-time brings some incredible vegetables, some of the best fall-time vegetables to look out for in Colorado are:
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Broccoli
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Brussels sprouts
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Carrots
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Cabbage
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Kale
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Lettuce
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Radishes
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Spinach, and more!
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Be sure to check these out at the farmers market!
How to help our migrating feathered friends
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Fall and winter seasons initiate the migrating season for a lot of our favorite feathered friends, it can prove to be a challenging time for them.
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These migrating birds have a few burdens on them that we can help ease a bit fairly easily.
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One of these burdens is their food scarcity. We can help them by avoiding pruning any of your fruiting, flower, and/or seed-bearing plants until early springtime. By waiting to do this, these birds are able to use these plants as an essential food source along their expedition and help them fully refuel as they go!
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Turn off your lights! Not only does this preserve energy, it also helps birds migrate at night, which they typically do by relying on the moon to guide them.
Sustainable fall fashion
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Everytime there is a change in weather, prefacing a new season, many of us look at our closets and may feel as though our bodies have changed, our styles have changed, and/or our preferences have changed. A lot of time people run to buy some new staples for the new season, yet this consumerism approach is less sustainable.
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To mitigate this problem, go through all your seasonal clothes and donate what you can no longer picture yourself feeling confident and/or good in.
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If you are finding no inspiration in the clothes left after this binge, consider first visiting your local thrift stores first and sort through the racks to find your new fall essentials.
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Another fun sustainable idea is to have a clothes swap with your closest friends with the clothes you no longer find a ton of joy in, because perhaps your new favorite sweater is sitting in the back of your best friend's closet!
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Check out this article about thrifting from a fellow zero waster!
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Make repairs! Before putting away your spring and summer wardrobe, make sure to stitch any holes, fix any buttons, etc. By making investments into your purchase you will be more likely to use them again the next season!
Candles
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As fall time brings chillier weather, it feels so lovely and peaceful to cozy up with a candle burning eliciting a wonderful scent and ambience. However, it is important to choose a sustainable candle as there are surprisingly some that are very detrimental to the environment.
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Make sure to check the label and ensure you are buying candles made with soy wax rather than any made from paraffin wax which hurts not only our lungs but also our planet.
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Better yet, consider taking a study break to do a D.I.Y. to make your fall candle!
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Here are 3 resources I found on how to make your own scented soy wax candles:
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Call to Action
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Lug Your Mug every Wednesday outside the Atlas building! Make sure to lug your mug to classes with you that day and stop by to get some free coffee!
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Follow our instagram to get some environmental memes, zero waste reels, giveaways, and more on your feed!