Denalis is a micro business - there is only me - but I still want to use the business and my products to do as much as I can to help the community.
Trees
Denalis plants a tree every month through Trees for Cities and 15% of sales of my leaf jewellery will also be donated.
Why plant trees?
They are beautiful and have environmental and mental health benefits. They produce oxygen, absorb carbon and under the right conditions can reduce pollutants by up to half. They support urban flood risk management, release water vapour, which provides a cooling effect, and provide shade. They enable our urban wildlife to live and thrive and replanting and replenishing areas can help replace many trees lost due to urban sprawl or old age. Our mental health and wellbeing can be greatly improved by being around trees and nature.
Trees for Cities are the only UK charity working at a national and international level to improve lives by planting trees in cities and have been involved in planting 10,000 trees and bushes in my local park and a further 20,000, an award winning project, at a community space a short walk away.
'We get stuck in with local communities to cultivate lasting change in the neighbourhoods - whether it's revitalising forgotten spaces, creating healthier environments, or getting people excited about growing, foraging, and eating healthy food.'
Read more about Trees For Cities
Oceans
Denalis is a member of the Marine Conservation Society.
My subscription will help to support vital marine conservation projects and tackle pollution, like sewage and plastics, in the UK and UK overseas territories. It will also help safeguard marine wildlife from the largest whales to the tiniest plankton, as well as working with communites to protect the seabed.
The MCS is the UK's leading marine charity run by and for ocean lovers. It places community involvement and educational outreach at its heart. The goal is to recover the health of our ocean which covers over 70% of the planet.
As well as a monthly donation, I donate 15% of sales of any pieces from my Beach Waves collection.
Read more about the Marine Conservation Society
Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs play a crucial role in the ecosystem and are on the Red list as 'vulnerable to extinction'.
I joined Ealing Hedgehog Friends and my rewilded, hedgehog friendly garden (complete with log piles and lots of leaf litter) has been approved as a release site. I've offered my car as a hedgehog ambulance, so I can transport animals needing emergency care to wildlife hospitals. There are plans for a borough wide campaign to open hedgehog highways which I'm keen to be part of.
EHF is not a charity, but an unincorporated community organisation, run by volunteers. To help raise much needed funds, I donate a percentage of sales of my hedgehog themed jewellery.
Read more about hedgehogs here
Bees
Our bees are in severe decline - habitat loss, pollution and climate changes are endangering them. They are an integral part of our ecosystem, which is in danger of collapse without them.
My garden is planted with lots of bee-friendly flowering plants, and I've provided bee houses and safe drinking water areas to make it a welcoming environment.
There is a community beehive in my locality, looked after by a small group of volunteers. I donate a percentage of any sales of my bee themed jewellery to help with fundraising.
Read more about the importance of bees
