This activity will help you explore how climate change could affect your favourite place and change natural places near you.
Before you start
Begin by thinking about where your favourite outdoor place is that you can walk, cycle or scoot to. Where is it? What else is there? What makes it your favourite outdoor place? If you are doing this activity with others you may want to have a vote of where to go.
What to do
Take your pencil and paper or device as well as someone to go with to your favourite spot. When you arrive find somewhere to sit and draw or take a picture of the place you have chosen. Can you make a picture with all the elements that you like in it? For example drawing in all the trees you like to climb.
Now you have your basic drawing or picture think about why this is your favourite place? Think about how your spot affects the climate? Are there trees or plants? They will be taking in carbon dioxide, holding soil together with their roots, absorbing the rain so you can walk around. Or maybe there are lots of buildings? are they creating shady places? If there are buildings around do they have solar panels? Is there lots of concrete? What happens when it rains to concrete, soil and plants?
Begin to colour your picture in and maybe label your thoughts if you are feeling like a scientist!
In the next few years climate change is predicted to cause the sea level to rise, make it rain more in winter and not rain much in summer and make summers much hotter
How could this affect your picture? Is it near a stream, lake or the sea? could it flood? Will the plants enjoy more warm weather and sun or will it be too hot for them? Or will it look the same? Draw another layer on to your picture imagining what it could look like if sea levels rise and summers become much hotter.
Think about how your favourite place might look if the world together addressed the climate emergency in a cooperative way and systemic change does happen. Would this change your drawing of the future? You could use this drawing as a way to help others understand the impact that individual, government and worldwide actions are having on our ecosystems, outdoor spaces and animal habitats.
Take it Further
Share your pictures and ideas with your household, friends and family to start a conversation about what we can all do about the Climate Emergency.
This activity was developed by our Green Mentor. If you want to do more and get involved with the Green Influencers scheme find out more Launch of the Green Influencers Scheme | Woodcraft Folk
Show this to your family and friends and have a chat about what you would like to do in your community to tackle climate change. Check out you can also check out our Climate and Ecological Emergency page for ideas.
