ZOOM Into Action: Help the Environment

Do you love the outdoors? Even though the Earth is a big place, every little bit you do to take care of it is important. Here are some ways ZOOMers like you are volunteering:

Clare and Lisa of Minnesota cleaned up a creek in their neighborhood and went for a swim.
The Redwoods Class at the Prairie Creek Community School in Minnesota collected almost 60 pounds of trash near their school.
A kindergarten class at the Village Nursery School in Massachusetts held a bake sale to raise money for the rainforest.
A fourth grade class in New Hampshire raised salmon from eggs until they were big enough to be released into a stream.

Visit ZOOMsci and learn how to turn vegetable scraps into Compost.
Recycle things around your house in a Junk Picture Frame.
Adopt a piece of the Earth, like a park or a street corner, and keep it clean.
Start a recycling program at your school to cut down on waste.

Ashley and her girl scout troop in Oregon planted trees in a neighborhood park to celebrate National Arbor Day. National Arbor Day is a holiday to encourage people to plant trees. Trees produce oxygen for us to breathe, remove pollution from the air, and provide food and shelter for wildlife.

First decide when to plant your tree. Find out when National Arbor Day is celebrated in your state.
Now decide where to plant your tree. You can plant your tree in your backyard with your family. Or you can ask your teacher if there is a place to plant it at school.
Buy your tree. For $10 you can join the National Arbor Day Foundation and receive ten trees in the mail. Ask an adult to help you sign up and order your trees. You can also buy a tree from your local nursery (a place that grows trees and other plants). Ask a person who works at the nursery to help you choose a tree that will grow well in your area.
Prepare your tree for planting. If you ordered a tree through the mail, it will have bare roots. Unpack the tree and soak the roots in water for 3 to 6 hours. If you bought a tree at a nursery, ask someone there for planting instructions.
Plant your tree. Dig a hole that is just as deep as and about twice as wide as the roots. Place the tree in the hole and hold it upright while a friend fills the hole with dirt. Pack down the dirt. Give your tree plenty of water.
Spread a layer of mulch about two inches deep around your tree but not touching it. (You can buy mulch at a nursery.) Mulch helps keep your tree from drying up.
Water your tree often over the next year and watch it grow!
Think about it:
- Who did your project help?
- What did you see and hear during the project?
- How did this project make you feel?
- What did you learn that you did not know before?
- What new questions or ideas do you have?
- Is there anything you would do differently the next time?
Celebrate! Thank everyone who helped you. And remember to log your hours and share your story.
Keep helping. There are plenty of other ways to help the environment. Get your classmates or your afterschool program to adopt a park to keep clean. You can go back every month and have a contest to see who can pick up the most trash in half an hour.

Tree Musketeers
Join an organization run by kids! You, too, can become a Tree Musketeer and plant trees while learning about the environment.

Dinosaurs to the Rescue: A Guide to Protecting Our Planet
By Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown
Little, Brown & Company

The creators of Arthur suggest many ways that young children can protect the Earth.

You can read this book in English and Spanish. Find out what Fernando and Carmina, children who live in the rainforest of Costa Rica, do when Carmina's favorite tree is cut down.

Meet people—such as botanists, economists, organic farmers, biologists, and scuba divers—who work to protect the Earth.

Kid Heroes of the Environment: Simple Things Real Kids Are Doing to Save the Earth
Catherine Dee, Ed.
Earth Works Press

Read about what kids across the country are doing to help the environment. Find out what steps to take to complete a volunteer project and get contact information for environmental organizations.

The Once-ler greedily chops down the Truffula Tree tufts to make Thneeds. Will he listen to the Lorax's warnings before all of the trees are gone?

Call your Volunteer Center. This is a place that can help you find volunteer projects. To find a Volunteer Center near you, visit this Web site or call 1-800-VOLUNTEER. Then ask an adult to help you call. Tell them your age and ask if there are ways that you can help the environment.