We helped: Earth Day 2009

We have been learning about ways to help the Earth through literature, class discussions, joining Recycle Rex and his RecyCool Club, and recycling plastic and aluminum. But, ACTIONS speak louder than just mere talk! So, today, we went out onto the campus during the day to pick up trash.

We have been working at keeping our school clean everyday by picking up all the trash we see but we do this whenever we are walking on campus, which is not very often. Of course, after school, we do this every day. The difference today is that we walked AROUND the campus to pick up trash.

Now, on a daily basis, the children are used to picking up one piece of trash here and one piece of trash there. Today, when given a biodegradable baggy and shown a small area in which to "look for trash," hmm...the task was a bit different~the 'trash' didn't seem to stand out nearly as much! So, a few tips had to be given on how to look for that hidden trash...

Little bits of paper, strings, shoelaces, tinsel, and even a headband were found hidden under the little bushes in the planters! To think we walk by these same planters EVERY single DAY! The look on the children's faces after we compiled all the stuff in the baggies after we spent only 8-minutes on the 'hunt' was truly priceless.
With excellent teamwork, we were able to gather up quite a large quantity of trash in a short amount of time. The children were astounded by just how much 'trash' was accumulated. When they heard that Mr. R picked up trash everyday BY HIMSELF (he is our only day custodian), the immense compassion for him was palpable. As a teacher, am I 'pushing' the environmentalism' button? I don't think so.

Awareness and education, however, is key. Children ARE our future. They need to be aware of the environment and what we as humans are doing. My motto, 'Education is the foundation for making dreams come true…' is where I believe it is at. These children are living proof. Period.

There are many ways to help out this upcoming weekend for Earth Day. . Many of the local beaches and parks will have special activities planned. This is OUR Earth. Everyone needs to help!