Earth Today | A little goes a long way

FROM CLIMBING trees to running barefoot along the banks of the Rio Minho as a child, Vanessa Lalasingh had plenty of early opportunities to cultivate her love for the environment – a love she nurtures to this day.

“From spending time with my family in the country, I came to believe life is simple until we complicate it, because the environment supports life and happiness,” said the attorney who serves as legal counsel for the Jamaica National Group.

Her love for the environment deepened at Ardenne High School, where she was a member of the Environmental Club, which she also served as president.

“We would create beautiful and useful things from recycled material, routinely selling some to fund the club. We talked about technology and ways to save water and preserve the environment. Every year we would create a two-storey Christmas tree entirely of recycled materials as the centrepiece of the school’s Christmas event. It was always elegant and that cemented in my mind the fact that recycled things can be very chic instead of shabby,” she recalled fondly.

Lalasingh’s love went with her to The University of the West Indies and stayed with her after graduation. Along the way, there have been many community clean-ups and conservation causes.

SUSTAINABLE LIVING

“I never lost that love for nature and animals, so I have been the type who always has pets and encourages animals to come around. I also subscribe to everything about sustainable living tips. I love plants so I started planting dwarfed fruit trees in pots and that became a hobby,” she said, explaining how she translates her love of nature while living in an urban area.

Her home is an oasis of animals and plants – from indoor varieties such as Snake plants, also called Mother In-law’s Tongue, to ZZ plants (Zanzibar Gems) that purify the air. Lalasingh also fills her home with bird feeders and plants that invite pollinators so birds can feed in a natural environment.

“I feel like living in the city we get so disconnected from the things that keep us physically but especially mentally healthy. We complain about air quality and water shortages but make daily decisions that disrupt ecological cycles and create those problems. So, I kind of took an approach that anything that concerns me, I try to seek a natural remedy for it first instead of going for the easiest chemical or disposables to purchase,” she noted.

Her friends and colleagues are gifted plants, and ‘dragged’ to hikes outside the city and to agricultural shows to deepen their appreciation for nature and to inspire their own advocacy.

Lalasingh is also big on energy conservation and installs energy and water-saving devices inside her home.

“I am big on using technology to save money … You don’t need a roof of solar panels to start. Solar lights, smart plugs and other small devices make a really noticeable impact with no additional effort and actually increase my daily comfort,” added the attorney, who is also a project manager at the ‘Don’t Count me Out’ Foundation, which focuses on community development, education, and the environment.

Lalasingh, whose foundation members also routinely carry out beach clean-ups and tree planting, encourages others to do their bit for the environment.

“Be open about your interest in the environment, however small it may feel. This attracts others with the same values and makes it into a lifestyle that you don’t even think about. You will get ideas from like-minded people that will fit seamlessly into your everyday life and become impactful,” she said.