MARQUETTE — Although the new year has already started, it isn’t too late to start thinking of ways to live a greener lifestyle. So, here’s five tips to adopting a more sustainable lifestyle in 2020.

Our first tip might be the most simple, and it could also help many with another common New Year’s resolution; getting in shape.

“The first tip that we have for folks is to get outside and adventure,” said Andrea Denham, Executive Director of the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy. “Just like you don’t get to know people without spending time with them, you don’t get to know nature and the land and why it’s important to protect it and how to protect it unless you’re out spending time with it. This resolution can meet a couple different goals at once; getting outside makes you more active, makes you healthier, that sort of thing.”

Other tips include volunteering with organizations like the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy, for a hands–on approach to helping the environment.

When it comes to living a more green lifestyle, knowledge is power.

“Tip #3 is to learn something more about nature or about sustainable living,” added Denham. “Whether that is by taking a class, or attending a workshop or something like that, or just borrowing a plant identification and going out on a hike with it and learning about that. We can learn so much about how to live a more sustainable lifestyle just by learning about the nature that surrounds us.”

Fourthly, simply using less products, specifically plastics, reduces one’s own footprint on the environment. Reusing or donating unwanted clothing can be a proactive alternative to adding to a landfill.

Lastly, revitalizing your area by taking a more natural approach can encourage a healthier habitat. This can be done by planting native flowers instead of store–bought, planting your own food, and planting native plants near waterways.

For more ways to get involved with the environment, be sure to visit the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy’s website here.