Thursday 26 November 2009

Getting active...

I've had four months of unemployment now, but I've tried to put my time to some good use - although I am aware that I keep having moments of huge un-motivation and I could have done so much more, I keep thinking I'll get a job so I don't want to commit myself to something then have to stop once I'm employed. But I'm trying to change that way of thinking because it's the source of me never getting anything done!

So this week I've started 3 new things! 3!!

1. I'm going to a Friends of the Earth meeting tonight - I've supported friends of the earth for years but only just got the courage to go to a meeting - I'm very excited!

2. I have a meeting with a lady from this wildlife trust about starting doing some practical conservation volunteering - like coppicing trees and clearing scrub! My meeting's on Tuesday - I can't wait!

3. And I'm doing an online diploma (it's a real course - accredited by a marking board and everything) in Environmental Sciences to show that I actually really do know stuff about the environment (and not just from a free course!) - I'm doing the paper free version which saves 280 pages of course book coming my way, and have managed to find an old notebook to repurpose for making notes - so hopefully that will counteract the fact I have the computer on more to view the course documents!

I have also been volunteering here once a week for about 3 months now - a big beautiful garden owned by a charity we have here that buys old houses and land and keeps them open for the public. I work in the gardens (mum comes too) and do all sorts of jobs that the head gardener tells me to do (he's lovely - a veggie with a VW camper van - yey!) It's really good fun and I generally need a sleep when I get home! They also have chickens there, that are lovely and fat and I like to say hello to them!


I've also started a distance learning course in Nutrition - it's a free one from this church group (I'm not religious but I do like food!) it's handy to know about nutrition - especially because I'm vegan, and because when I'm growing my own food (someday!) I'll have more information about what I need to grow to stay healthy!

And I'm still doing free Open University courses about the environment too.

I'm really excited about my new activities! YEY! I almost don't want a job then I can just carry on doing lovely things forever!

6 comments:

  1. WOW!!!
    It's wonderful to be busy in this way!!!
    I'm looking forward to know about these exciting activities! Well done!
    Sure that the moment you'll be so busy, a new employment will come! Believe me! Life is so strange! ;)

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  2. WOW!! Some awesome things you have been doing!!

    Maybe you'll get a job out of one of these gigs? Sometimes people hire volunteers then!
    Have you checked idealist.org or similar for jobs yet?

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  3. Hi Danda - Thanks, I figured I might as well enjoy my free time :)

    Layla - I'd not heard of idealist before but just had a look and it's awesome! Thanks! Most of the positions are in London, but I did find one in my little town (although it's working at a adventure campsite and living in on site in a cabin, which is actually a job I used to have!) It's deifinately going into my 'jobs' folder so I can keep my eye on it!

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  4. Glad you like idealist.org & they actually have a job in your hometown! :)
    There have been a few jobs listed in Slovenia in the past few years, but some of them iffy too (for a nuke promoting org? aargh!)
    So do check 'em out after you find anything!

    This is another great forum (not very active, but some lovely people here) http://www.enviro-space.com/index.php
    There's a section about 'green jobs' too, some other websites are posted too, maybe any of them could come handy? (Haven't checked them out yet, might wanna take a look?) http://www.enviro-space.com/index.php?showtopic=1562

    Also, since you're an English major, have you thought of writing freelance articles or columns for magazines or such? (That's something I've done locally on a very small level, and hope to continue later on..)
    You could check any student papers or magazines or local papers/magazines.. Or see if there's Writer's Market in your local library, or any books on freelancing: I recommend Jenna Glatzer, Kelly James-Enger and I've heard good things of Renegade Writer?

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  5. Hello, I just came across your blog on Mrs Green's. Sounds like you're doing loads of really interesting stuff, don't know where you'd fit in a job1
    The OU free courses sound interesting, can you tell me what they're called? Thanks and I'll definitely be back to read more!

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  6. Ooo thanks for those ideas Layla, I'll definately have a look at that website, and I hadn't thought of freelance writing before but it's definately something I can look into - big thankyous!

    Hello Green gal, Thanks for visiting - it's always exciting to see new people!
    The free courses from the open uni are called openlearn, they're not accredited or anything, but they're FREEE! and I find they give me some motivation to learn stuff for my own knowledge - if you go here (http://www.open.ac.uk/openlearn/home.php) then choose browse topics, then science and nature, then you end up with a list of all the sciencey topics which include environmental courses (http://openlearn.open.ac.uk/course/category.php?id=10) which you can find by scrolling through, or searching environment in the search bar. The courses I've done or am planning to do are Climate change (S250_3), An introduction to sustainable energy (T206_2), Health and environment (SK220_2, Introducing Environment – taster materials (Y161_1, Introducing the environment: ecology and ecosystems (Y161_2) etc. Does that help??

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