Living with A Changing Climate

What You Can Do This Season

Practical Climate Actions for South West Australia

Climate action doesn’t have to wait for perfect conditions or big policy shifts. Each season offers opportunities to strengthen resilience—at home, in the garden, and in the wider community.

Choose one or two actions that fit your life right now. Small, steady steps matter.

🌱 In the Garden (or on the Balcony)

  • Add organic matter to soil (compost, mulch, leaf litter) to improve water-holding capacity and soil life

  • Mulch generously to protect soil from heat and evaporation

  • Choose climate-appropriate plants, including drought-tolerant edibles and local natives

  • Trial one new heat-resilient or perennial food plant

  • Observe where water naturally flows and pools after rain

Healthy soil is one of the most effective tools we have for adapting to climate change.

💧 With Water

  • Capture rain where possible—even a single barrel helps

  • Redirect runoff into garden beds rather than drains

  • Check for leaks and inefficient fittings

  • Reuse household water safely for trees and perennial plants

  • Water deeply and less often to encourage stronger root systems

Think of water as a resource to slow, store, and share—not something to rush away.

🔥 Preparing for Heat and Fire

  • Increase shade with trees, vines, or temporary shade structures

  • Reduce flammable material close to buildings while keeping soil covered

  • Plant fire-resilient species suited to your local conditions

  • Create cooler microclimates with ground covers and layered planting

  • Learn about local fire plans and community preparedness

Well-designed landscapes can be cooler, safer, and more liveable.

🥕 Food Choices That Matter

  • Eat with the seasons and try one locally grown ingredient each week

  • Reduce food waste—plan meals, store food well, compost scraps

  • Learn one food preservation skill (fermenting, drying, freezing)

  • Support growers using regenerative or low-input practices

  • Grow something edible, even if it’s just herbs on a windowsill

Food is one of the most immediate ways we interact with climate systems.

⚡ At Home and on the Move

  • Reduce energy use during peak heat—close blinds, improve airflow

  • Choose renewable energy where available

  • Walk, cycle, or combine trips when possible

  • Repair and reuse rather than replace

  • Plant for shade around buildings to reduce cooling needs

Energy saved is emissions avoided—and often money saved too.

🌊 Caring for Coast and Country

  • Reduce runoff and pollutants reaching waterways

  • Respect marine life and coastal ecosystems

  • Join or support local landcare, coastcare, or tree-planting groups

  • Learn whose Country you live on and the seasonal knowledge of that place

  • Advocate for protection of bushland, wetlands, and mature trees

Healthy ecosystems are climate infrastructure.

🤝 Build Community Resilience

  • Share plants, seeds, tools, and knowledge

  • Talk about climate solutions, not just climate problems

  • Support local initiatives, markets, and community gardens

  • Stay informed and engaged with local planning and decisions

  • Check in on neighbours during extreme weather

Strong communities adapt better—together.

A Final Thought

You don’t need to do everything. You don’t need to do it perfectly.

Climate resilience is built through care, consistency, and connection—season by season, place by place. Every action that restores soil, saves water, supports ecosystems, or strengthens community is part of shaping a future worth living in.