Mother of Three, Jenna Bush Hager, Values Teaching Her Kids About Sustainability (Exclusive)

During the ongoing climate crisis, talking to your children about global warming and the importance of living sustainably is crucial. But communicating such a daunting message to kids can be difficult — which is why we spoke to Jenna Bush Hager about sustainable parenting, and talking to your kids about climate change.

The TODAY Show star also recently co-authored a children's e-book in partnership with Dawn about wildlife conservation and the importance of protecting the planet.

The Wonderful World of Blue teaches families all about marine conservation. It comes with illustrations, as well as easy and actionable tips from International Bird Rescue and the Marine Mammal Center.

"I’m excited to partner with Dawn to co-create The Wonderful World of Blue," she says. "Early education is extremely important, and children’s literacy is near and dear to my heart."

And to ensure everyone gets a chance to read it, the book is available for free.

"I know that accessible education is important, especially when it comes to wildlife conservation," Hager tells us — parents can now download it as an audio book, e-book on Dawn's website, and as an animated video, at no cost.

GREEN MATTERS: What do you find most important when teaching kids about climate change, and the importance of living sustainably?

JENNA BUSH HAGER: Education is an important factor in protecting and caring for wildlife. While topics like climate change and sustainability can feel daunting or overwhelming, especially for kids, it’s important to recognize that small actions can help create a big impact in the world we share with wildlife.

When writing The Wonderful World of Blue, we worked with Dawn’s partners at International Bird Rescue and the Marine Mammal Center to identify easy but impactful ways parents and kids can become wildlife heroes by making small behavioral changes at home.

GM: Have you recently made any lifestyle changes to live more sustainably? If so, what were they?

JBH: Yes! I’ve been implementing a variety of changes over the years. My top tips would be:

• Reduce using plastic water bottles in your home. When possible, use a reusable bottle that you can also take on the go. When you’re unable to reuse, be sure to recycle responsibly.
• Leave no trace behind when you’re enjoying time in nature and give wildlife space when you encounter them in the great outdoors.
• Avoid running the water when you wash your dishes. You really don’t need as much water as you think. I love using Dawn Powerwash Dish Spray because it’s designed so that you don’t need to turn on the tap until the very end.

GM: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone on reducing their environmental impact?

JBH: Don’t discount the big impact that small actions can make! Whether turning off the tap when washing the dishes or picking up trash in your local park, we can all be wildlife heroes. Together, our small changes can make a big difference in the world we share with wildlife.

"Green Routine" is a series from Green Matters that invites notable people in the environmental space to share the efforts they make to live more sustainably.