Category: Travel & Lifestyle & DIY tips

 BUTTERFLY BEAUTY

When I was younger I used to like butterflies and dislike caterpillars. Little did I know that caterpillars transform into butterflies! Now as an adult I appreciate every stage a butterfly goes through before the transformation – egg, larvae, pupa, adult. I’ve learnt that just like in ‘butterfly life’ each stage in our life is important and even through the difficult stages in life e.g. job loss, pandemic, death, divorce, illness or exam failure we can still make something beautiful out of challenging situations. In Kenya, there are beautiful butterfly gardens in Nairobi Arboretum and in Arabuko Sokoke in Watamu, Kilifi county.

Benefits of butterfly gardens

The larvae caterpillar feeds on plants but with minimal damage, since when the larvae transforms into a butterfly, they fly from one flower to another, pollinate the plants, resulting in further development of plant species. The adult butterfly and larvae provide food for wildlife e.g. lizards and birds.

Travel Tips

• Take precaution if you have health issues and are usually uncomfortable with hot environment, consider keeping your visit short because butterfly houses are usually in humid environment, to mimic the butterflies’ native tropical habitat.

• Be careful when walking in the foot paths since butterflies sometimes rest on the ground, including on the pathways where you will be walking, to avoid stepping on them. 

• When visiting a butterfly site, don’t pick flowers or handle the butterflies, unless a staff member at the site invites you to do so. Photograph butterflies from the front to capture a better view.

• Plan your visit to the butterfly tourism site early in the day when the butterflies are most active. On one hand you will observe older butterflies that look tattered, with missing or torn wings. On the other hand you will observe newly emerged butterflies with bright, bold colours. The emerging area is where you can watch new butterflies and moths break out of their pupal cases. It takes time so one may have to wait for a while to see one emerge, but it is well worth it.

• Take lots of pictures and you may also consider bringing a pair of binoculars for a better view of butterflies from different angles. Look for butterflies on feeding stations or flowers, where you might be able to get a good view of the feeding and you can witness pollination taking place.

“Today, wherever the road takes you, open your eyes. Instead of hurrying past what you’ve already seen, look again. Take time to appreciate the detail God has woven into nature” – Adage

🌲Trees …
☘️provide food and shelter
☘️clean the air we breathe
☘️ support wildlife
☘️decrease air pollution
☘️ buffer noise pollution
☘️ conserve rainwater
☘️reduce soil erosion
☘️ mitigate climate change

As the saying goes, “we get what we give”. When we plant trees we get food and shelter and so much more.

🎯Everybody has a gift from God.It wastes away if you don’t use it well eg Samson’s hair. It can however be rehabilitated and regained to become highly valuable.

🎯Talents are genetically passed. Use it or lose it.

🎯Your interest can become a passion e.g. Prof. Wangari Mathai was initially interested in environmental conservation then it became a passion and it grew big.

🎯If you can’t identify your gift or talent you can identify an area which you are interested in and run with it, be committed, consistent till it grows.

🎯Identify one project e.g. planting strawberries nurture them patiently until they grow. Eventually you will get a bumper harvest and profits.

🎯If you try planting strawberries and give up before the harvest then try planting another fruit, give up, try another…you will not succeed.

🎯Similarly identify one thing you are passionate about or interested in and be committed no matter how many times you fall, run with it until it becomes a successful project. Have a big vision.

🎯Never let fear, pride or excuses cripple you.

#ThinkmoreThankmore

The big question is how can we consciously conserve our environment for sustainability purposes? Below are some few tips:-

• Save on fuel e.g. avoid driving high speeds,carpool, minimize trips, bike and walk where necessary.
• Conserve electricity e.g. switch of electricity when not in use.
• Recycle items e.g. newspapers you no longer use can be shredded and used to carry fragile items.
• Participate in community tree planting activities.
• Solar energy can be used in the household for solar water heater and lighting.
• Leave leaves to decompose. When mixed into the soil, they add nutrients and keeps the soil light while also helping it retain moisture.
• Take care of plants by ensuring the plants have enough water, weed and mulch as required.

Each and every one of us can find small ways of conserving our environment. These small steps go a long way in ensuring that our environment is sustainable for future generations – Pats Oases

“We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all.” – Wangari Maathai

As the saying goes, “we get what we give”.
– If we plant more trees, we get more shade and shelter.
– If we plant more fruits, we get more food and medicine.
– If we avoid water pollution, we get fresher water and better marine life.
-If we avoid air pollution, we get fresher air and better climate.
#Patsoases #sustainability #greenliving

The World Environment Day (WED) is the United Nations Day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment. The day was first commemorated in 1974. As such, the day involves among other activities raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine, land and air pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.

This year, the global commemorations will be held in Colombia who will host the celebrations in partnership with Germany. The theme this year will focus on biodiversity. In Kenya, the National steering Committee has domesticated the theme as “Biodiversity for Sustainable Livelihoods” with the slogan, “protect, restore and conserve” as a rallying call for the country to join the global community in WED celebrations and also the decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021 – 2030).*

In our very small way, how can we protect, restore and conserve the environment?

At home

• Conserve water e.g. turn off water when not in use and fill in leaks to reduce water wastage.
• Turn off electric items when not in use.
• Unplug devices to limit electricity flow.
• Buy food locally to reduce pollution caused by transporting food.
• Re-cook left over foods to avoid wastage.
• Use re-usable items to limit trash in landfills.
• Donate old household items which can be re-used elsewhere.

When travelling

• Car-pool to commute to work in order to save gas.
• Walk or cycle if you’re travelling to a destination close to home.
• Reduce multiple travels by listing errands and combining trips.
• Dispose hazardous waste properly.

In the community

• Volunteer to help promote a better environment.
• Join an environmental organization e.g. environmental institutions in your home country.
• Donate to an environmental cause.
• Sensitize others on environmental conservation.

Happy World Environmental Day from Pats Oases

*Extract from Environmental Institute of Kenya

The term ‘Eco-travel’ was coined to include environmental consciousness. Pats Oases advocates for responsible travel to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. In addition, Pats Oases educates the traveler and promotes socio-economic development of local communities and fosters respect for different cultures. Since the 1980s, ecotourism has been considered a critical endeavor by environmentalists, for sustainability purposes, so that future generations may experience and appreciate various destinations relatively untouched by human intervention.