WHAT DOES ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP MEAN

Environmental stewardship refers to diverse actions that aim to conserve, protect, and create a more sustainable environment. It is all about being responsible and caring for the natural environment in the best way possible. Environmental stewardship actions are driven by stewards.

TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDS

Environmental stewards can conduct stewardship actions as a group, or as individuals. There are three main types of environmental stewards:

Benefactors

-Donors or benefactors provide stewardship movements with funds. The money can be used to buy the instruments needed to achieve the set environmental goals.

-Environmental stewardship donors are mainly made up of a network or large organizations. They can help raise funds and may also host events on behalf of stewardship movements.

Doers

-These are people who volunteer during the implementation of stewardship actions. They are also referred to as doers and often engage in environmental conservation practices.

-Just about anyone can become a doer when it comes to environmental stewardship. Doers can take part in tree planting, collection of garbage, or any other activity that can improve the environment.

Practitioners

-Practitioners are somewhat similar to doers. The only difference is that they take part in the day-to-day activities of stewardship movements.

-They work with other stewards and environmental agencies to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

OBJECTIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship movements have one common goal—to enhance environmental resilience. The group’s actions can address a wide range of issues affecting the environment. This can be achieved through:

Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems

Ecosystems can lose some of their functions after some time. This mainly occurs due to pollution, overexploitation, and climate change.
Stewards can help restore degraded ecosystems by providing plants and animals with the right conditions to recover.
Ecosystem restoration projects are long-term and may require the intervention of practitioners.

Environmental Conservation

Environmental conservation is the management of the environment through the prevention of pollution and other destructive factors.
Stewards can conserve the environment through recycling, planting trees, and minimizing the emission of greenhouse gasses.
They can also educate the general public on the importance of environmental conservation.

Protection of Endangered Species

A species is said to be endangered when the number of mature individuals falls below 2,500.
Environmental stewards protect endangered species by preserving their natural habitats.
Both plants and animals can go extinct if their habitat does not support their survival.

Improving Resource Sustainability

Resource sustainability is important for the environment. It ensures that all resources are used responsibly.
Through this, the natural resources that are available in the environment won’t be overexploited.
Additionally, the resources will be naturally replenished.

Creating Awareness

The general public needs to be taught about the common stewardship actions that can help improve the environment.
Stewards often organize community events that allow volunteers to take part in various environmental activities.
They can also share useful information about the environment through social media platforms.

HOW TO BECOME AN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARD

Becoming an environmental steward is very easy. It requires basic knowledge about the environment and common conservation strategies:

Recycling

Recycling waste materials can greatly reduce pollution. You can recycle plastics, paper, cans, and other materials.
Most cities have recycling bins that help with waste management. When materials are recycled, they are less likely to pollute the soil, lakes, and oceans.

Changing Mode of Transportation

Vehicles run on petrol, which is a fossil fuel. When fossil fuel is burned, it releases greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
As a steward, you can prevent this by using alternative means of transport. You can use bicycles, electric mopeds, or public transport. Short distances can be covered by foot since it is the most effective method.

Choose Reusable Bottles Over Plastic Bottles

Plastic bottles can pollute water sources and the soil. Most of these bottles are never recycled and often end up in our oceans. Plastic bottles can take hundreds of years to decompose.
They can disrupt the functions of aquatic ecosystems and may also change the chemical composition of the soil.

Zero Waste Challenge

The zero-waste challenge is all about reducing the amount of garbage coming out of a household. It leads to the preservation of natural resources and prevents possible overexploitation.
Environmental agencies from different parts of the world encourage people to reduce the amount of waste in the environment.

Use Energy-efficient Appliances

Power plants burn fossil fuels during the production of electricity. This process leads to the emission of harmful gasses into the atmosphere.
By using energy-efficient appliances, you can prevent air pollution by reducing the amount of greenhouse gasses in the earth’s atmosphere.

Go for Locally-produced Food

Using locally-produced food can reduce carbon emissions. When food is transported over long distances, it can increase the number of greenhouse gasses in the air.
Environmental stewards mostly use foods that are produced close to their homes since this conserves the environment.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Environmental stewards play a critical role in ensuring the environment is well protected. Steward actions preserve the environment for future generations.

Promotes a healthy environment

-A healthy environment is one in which different species can coexist and live comfortably.

-Through environmental stewardship, all components of the environment will be protected. This will allow plants and animals to grow and thrive in their natural habitats.

-Stewardship campaigns can also help reduce pollution by educating the masses.

Increased Biodiversity

-Healthy ecosystems allow a diversity of animals to live in the same area without being limited in any way.

-This will prevent the extinction of animals and plants from the environment.

WHAT IS RESILIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP?

Resilience can be defined as the ability of the environment or ecosystem to recover or overcome destructive elements. Environmental stewards are focused on creating a sustainable and fully functional environment.

People from different parts of the globe form stewardship movements that help in environmental conservation. The movements have diverse goals based on the environmental problems being addressed. Anyone can join these movements as a volunteer, donor, or practitioner.