Turn Hearts Green and Show The Love

For the first two weeks of February The Climate Coalition, supported by the Woodland Trust will be turning hearts green to celebrate what we love and what we want to protect from climate change. This felt like an appropriate post for St. Dynwyns Day and give us all plenty of time to get crafting.

Note The Changes Around You

Spring is setting in earlier and earlier every year thanks to climate change and as well as making, wearing and sharing green hearts The Climate Coalition wants everyone to notice the changes in our environment – the signs of Spring that have already set in. This can be anything from the lawn needing a trim already to seeing wasps (yes wasps!). For us, it’s the daffodils that made me sit up and notice how early things are starting. While they are one of the earlier blooming flowers, we don’t usually see them until February. One garden in the village already has had a gorgeous crop of them for a week or and I’m not convinced they’ll last out the month.

There is a worksheet you can download and fill in before letting the Climate Coalition know what you’ve seen at showthelove.org. It’s based on Nature’s Calendar – another great project by The Woodland Trust to track the effect of climate change on our environment

Get Crafty

As well as noticing the changes around your home you can brighten up your environment and spread the word and the love. There are few ways you can take part in the project by creating green hearts and sharing them. There are ideas for pizzas and paper hearts.

We’re going for stones.

Story stones are a great way to get kids involved in telling stories and being creative, and I figured they would be a good way to show the love for our village by painting a green heart on some stones from our garden and leaving them around the village. Both where we’ve seen signs of spring and for people to find.

All you need are some flat-ish stones, a pencil, a pen, some green paint and some clear varnish.

Clean and dry the stones. We tried to pick natural ones though weren’t sure about the speckled one. I drew the heart in pencil first, then in ink, before painting. Then after it dried I set a layer of varnish over the stone and let it dry. Be careful to use a non-soluble or water resistant pen for the outline or the varnish might just make it run and ruin the heart (learnt this the hard way)

We plan to leave them all over the village once we’ve painted more than four. And once the weather is dry enough to do it. Hopefully, people will find them and google their meaning – I know they’ll end up on the village Facebook group asking too!

For more ideas check out the resources page and download their activity pack.

Let me know how you’re showing the love this February and wearing your green hearts with pride!

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8 Replies to “Turn Hearts Green and Show The Love

  1. This is such a brilliant way to spread awareness. I know I would be asking on my local facebook page why there are the stones everywhere. .
    It’s so sad though how much climate change is affecting our world, we’ve got daffodils already too. They’re even out before our snowdrops!

  2. This is a lovely craft idea, and a brilliant way to spread awareness. I did notice the first daffodil growing yesterday and I loved the idea that Spring was on the way, but if you think about it, it’s really quite upsetting. What we’ve done to this planet and how we’ve helped cause this climate change. 🙁

  3. I just love the idea of story stones, what a great way to get creative and do something fun with your kids.

  4. What a lovely idea, truly a kind and thoughtful way of spreading an important message. I’d love to be involved with this, and get my little boy to help.

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