Retirement villages in Essex: Fun projects for seniors this Earth Day
With Earth Day on 22nd April, many retirement villages in Essex will be celebrating the occasion by contributing to making a difference to our planet! As advocates for our environment, the team at Burnham Waters thought we’d share our eco-conscious activity ideas, perfect for seniors to get involved in this Earth Day! Let’s take a closer look.
Decorate a bottle/mug
Decorating a metal bottle or mug is a great way to encourage using a refillable vessel, rather than harmful plastic bottles. Acrylic paint is best to use to create your designs, we’d suggest Eco Acrylic paint, its non-toxic, long lasting and better for the environment! Get the grandchildren over and have them make one too, it’s the perfect excuse for a slice of cake and a cuppa in your new drinkware!
Encourage birds and bugs
Springtime welcomes the arrival of budding blossom and beautiful birds. If you’re looking for the perfect Earth Day activity for retirement villages in Essex, why not make a bird feeder to encourage birds to your garden? You can upcycle a large carton or bottle to make one and it doesn’t take long at all! Take a look at this post from Woodland Trust to find out how you can make one for your garden.
If you’re feeling especially crafty, why not decorate a bird house or insect hotel? Not only will it look beautiful and colourful in the garden, but it will offer both birds and insects a safe place to shelter, nest, lay their eggs, raise their young and seek refuge from predators. If you want to give them a little helping hand with nesting, leave a little pile of twigs, leaves and dead wood nearby for them to use!
Start a community walking club
What better way to appreciate the world we live in than getting out and about in nature? Why not start a community walking club this Earth Day? Walking has many benefits, including a positive impact on our mental and physical health. Now that the weather is warmer, why not enjoy the local scenery in the company of good friends, family, neighbours or other residents? Walking provides the perfect opportunity to make new acquaintances and ensure you’re getting regular exercise.
Start a wildflower garden
If you’re looking for a simple introduction to gardening, starting a wildflower garden is a brilliant way to green your fingers! You only need a small patch (or even a tub) to begin with – simply plant wildflower seed, water accordingly and watch them grow! Wildflowers, or meadow flowers as they’re sometimes called, will attract the likes of butterflies, bees and birds to your garden.
Host a seed swap
Another great way to encourage community spirit this Earth Day is to initiate a seedling swap! Whether you’re just starting your gardening journey, or are a veteran green thumb, why not gather with other residents, share gardening tips and swap seeds and cuttings from plants that have been previously grown? In the future, you can utilise these in your own garden, in the Burnham Waters allotments, or even speak to our team to enquire about placing new plants throughout the community!
Organise a park clean up
As the warmer weather rolls in (hopefully!), people will be enjoying picnics, barbeques and general alfresco dining. Unfortunately, this means that each year there is an increase in the amount of rubbish left behind in public spaces. There are many parks that are in need of a little TLC, pick one locally and gather a troupe to partake in a community park clean up. It’s a worthwhile trip, ensures you are getting a dose of Vitamin D and will make a difference in caring for the environment around Earth Day.
Donate old clothes
If you’ve been meaning to have a clear out, why not donate your unwanted garments to charity? You’ll have more wardrobe space, but you’re also contributing to the encouragement of circular shopping, whilst helping those that are vulnerable. Why not have a designated charity collection day? Anything that residents would like to donate can be gathered and taken to the local charity shop on the last Friday of the month, for example.
We care about our planet
At Burnham Waters, we’re committed to creating a greener environment and making a difference within our industry! Our mission to create a positive community for over 55’s works in synergy with our commitment to the planet. We want to lead the proactive change for our sector.
As construction continues, we aspire to build an eco-friendly community by always considering the building materials we use, their impact, and how this can be offset or eliminated with more sustainable options. We are also incorporating the use of electric vehicles and EV charging points, sourcing renewable electricity and high levels of carbon neutral insulation into design. Additionally, state of the art technologies including air to water and air to air heat pumps will be installed, contributing to reducing the carbon footprint of retirement villages in Essex.
As part of the government’s Future Home Standard, due to be introduced in 2025, Burnham Waters will be constructed with low carbon heating, in combination with renewable electricity, solar panels and carbon offsetting. This ensures that we are able to deliver an environmentally sustainable community for generations to come.
At the core of our innovative ethos is a strong ecological and landscape focus - we are always proactive in our approach to nature and can consistently adapt our build plan to ensure that local wildlife is safe, and habitats preserved.
Furthermore, we have collaborated with multiple ecologists to ensure that we are doing as much as we can to ensure all flora and fauna are safe throughout the building process. This includes replacing any lost hedgerows, planting new trees, the inclusion of a wildflower meadow and ponds as an ecological resource.
There’s plenty more we’re putting into place too, take a look at our ‘Going Green’ blog for more information!
Get in touch
If you’re looking at retirement villages in Essex, Burnham Waters is nestled into beautiful countryside, in an idyllic location. Minutes away from further unspoilt coastal landscapes and the riverside town of Burnham on Crouch, with its peaceful charm and accessible amenities.
Our coastally located village is set within a beautiful and communal ecological landscape. We’re set on doing everything we can to provide more sustainable construction and want to encourage a greener way of living, not just on Earth Day but permanently. If you’re interested in hearing more about our bungalow new builds, our friendly team are on hand to answer any questions!
Simply send us an email at info@burnhamwaters.co.uk and fill out our contact form for a downloadable brochure. Our Marketing Suite is now open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am - 3pm. Call our sales team at on 01621 861559 to arrange an appointment.
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of our home page and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest news on our community for the 55 and overs. We look forward to hearing from you!
