Enjoying green spaces this summer – picnic tips and tricks
By Earth Trust
Green spaces can be great places to enjoy a meal with family or friends. While BBQs aren’t permitted at any of our places, a picnic can be the perfect choice for a lazy lunch. Here we’ve gathered some of our best tips and tricks from the Earth Trust team for an eco-friendly picnic this summer.
1. Location – find somewhere that’s not too difficult to get to, and that offers you a little bit of space for social distancing away from others without disturbing any resident wildlife.
2. Are you sitting comfortably? If you’re taking blankets and cushions that don’t have a waterproof layer then shower curtains laid down underneath them work well, or pop a waterproof jacket down first.
3. Food! Picnics are the perfect time for simple but delicious lunch goodies, and supporting local producers can be a more sustainable way to shop. Find some of our favourite picnic recipes (no cutlery needed!) from our Farm Step Tenants here – though with great ingredients like these, even a simple honey or pork sandwich feels like a treat!
Top tip! Take a separate bag to put any rubbish in and weigh it down with a stone or log to stop it blowing away. Taking your rubbish with you helps protect wildlife and keeps our places spick and span for everyone to enjoy.
4. Packing it all up: re-useable tubs and containers are great to take homemade food in and they can double up as plates and bowls to eat from if you’re trying to pack light, too.
5. Keeping cool. Freeze water and juices ahead of time, and then use them to keep fresh food cool as you travel. And as they melt they’ll be the perfect temperature for a cooling sip!
Top tip! Use ice cube trays to freeze juice or squash and then simply add to a bottle of water when you’re ready!
6. Keeping insects at bay. At Earth Trust we love our pollinators, but we also know that some of them are less welcome at picnics. Keep food covered as much as possible, and try natural repellents which won’t harm the environment or the pollinators that we rely on – some people have found onions, vinegar, herbs like rosemary or lavender, and citrus fruits have helped. Pack some bite and sting cream too, just in case.
7. Pack light to avoid carrying too much, but we recommend making sure you have:
– something to do (a Frisbee, ball or the crossword for after everyone’s eaten were favourites from the Earth Trust team!)
– sun cream, hat and plenty of water if it’s hot
– warm layers in case the weather changes/for later in the day