October usually kicks off the holiday season: the weather turns cool, we bring out the sweaters, and we settle in for a season of togetherness and company. But, rather than write about the common Fall themes, I want to share some things that have been weighing heavy on my mind recently.

I live in an area slammed by wildfires in the last few years. You may remember the infamous “gender reveal fire” from two years ago – that started in the park where my daughter got married. And this month, we had another massive fire in our local foothills. Carelessness, crazy weather, and decades of drought have made almost the entire state of California vulnerable to the devastation of wildfires. And now, the barren hills produced by those fires have been a major factor in catastrophic mudslides in our local small mountain towns. We recently were hit by heavy rain from Hurricane Kay, which triggered mudslides that ripped through homes and a couple of businesses. Coincidentally, one of the restaurants destroyed was the one where we had my daughter’s wedding dinner! A co-worker’s home and vehicles were destroyed by a wall of mud, which also swept away his family’s dogs. This is the fallout of fires that isn’t talked about enough.

You may be wondering where I’m going with this. How does this tie into parenting or grandparenting? Recent events have me thinking about what is happening to our environment and if there’s any small way we can make a difference. It’s likely none of us are owners of a huge company that can have an enormous environmental impact. But, as with many things, the cumulative effects of small changes over time can often make a more significant difference than we realize. If our environment is saved, it will be today’s generation of children who do it. So why not teach them to be environmentally conscious at a young age? What does that look like? In my opinion, it starts small – at home.

I firmly believe that the best way to make children conscious of their world is to immerse them in it. A person won’t have a vested interest in saving an environment they don’t feel a part of. So get your kids outside. Go hiking in the forest or the desert. Spend a day at the beach or go camping. California, in particular, has vast areas where you can enjoy nature. Go to places that aren’t tourist attractions. Get to know the local streams and trails that only people in your area know about. The more time children spend enjoying nature, the more they will want to preserve it.

Try your hand at gardening. Some vegetables are hardy and easy to grow. I’m terrible at it, but even I can grow peppers and tomatoes. And you don’t need much room. A 5’ by 5’ raised garden can grow enough vegetables to supplement your family’s meals. And it’s so much fun to eat something you’ve grown yourself. Get the kids into the act by having them help you water the garden and pull weeds. If you live in an apartment, you can easily grow herbs with just the light through the kitchen window and small counter space.

Another way to make kids aware of their environmental impact is to join a community clean-up crew. I joined one that cleans up around the baseball park my son played at while growing up. Once a month, we spend a Sunday morning walking around the neighborhood and picking up trash. A small but impactful task that only takes a few hours a month. Your kids will notice, and they, too, will begin to care about their neighborhood.

Lead by example: your children are watching you. If you respect the environment, there are things you are probably already doing that your kids are watching. Make sure you shut off lights as you leave a room; turn off the water while you brush your teeth; pick up random trash while out walking; plant a drought-friendly garden; use a refillable water bottle rather than buying cases of plastic bottles. I’ve done a few small things: use bar shampoo and try laundry detergent sheets. These two things alone will reduce my plastic waste.

Will these things keep fires and floods from destroying our beautiful state? Not directly. But as we all become more aware of the roles trash, water conservation, and growing plants play in the environmental cycle, we will have more impact. And that is always a good thing to teach your children.

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TRICIA VLASAK is a mother and grandparent. She works in law enforcement when she isn’t writing about parenting, hiking with her dogs, or going on adventures. Tricia received a Silver Award for feature writing from Parenting Media Association in 2021.