Lynne Cherry
How to Make A Difference in the World When Jana Rajnohova saw the destruction of the Bimini mangroves, she began a campaign, collecting 700 signatures on a petition requesting that the development be stopped, the mangroves be saved and the Bimini Marine Protected Area be designated. A friend in the Bahamas delivered the petitions to the Prime Minister Perry Christie.  In How Groundhog's Garden Grew, the birds and insects tell Little Groundhog that they will clean his vegetables of insect pests if he agrees not to spray them with bug spray (insecticide). You can help wildlife by convincing neighbors to stop using dangerous lawn chemicals. Some communities have banned them, realizing that they may cause increased cancer in children and pets. Contact your congressional senators and representatives and ask them to come to your school and discuss the issues they think are the most important in your community. If your river needs cleaning up, bring them a bottle of dirty river water as the kids in A River Ran Wild do (they give a bottle of dirty river water to Senator Kennedy). Regularly write to your senators and reps to tell them what you think about all kinds of issues in your community. Links to Issues of Nature's Course |
You Can Help Reduce Your Climate Footprint! Children convinced MacDonalds to use recycled cardboard containers instead of styrofoam. Kids were responsible for getting the tunafish companies to stop fishing for tuna in places where dolphins would get caught in their nets. Children helped to save Belt Woods in Maryland. Children saved an old growth forest in Michigan and the oldest cypress swamp in Coral Springs, Florida. Kids, you can make a difference in the world! These issues of Nature's Course are full of great information and ideas!What You Can Do to Make A Difference Many of these ideas are from A New American Dream *Buy less, use less * Recycle *Turn off your TV and use that time to learn about your community, organize and write letters. * Replace grass in your yard at home with native plants that create food and habitat for wildlife. *keep a Nature Journal. Observe insects, plants and animals. Draw them and write about them. * Save open space in your community (write the Center for Environmental Education for a copy of the Save the Land You Love issue of Nature's Course) * Compost cafeteria waste--create rich black earth. Use it to... * Plant a butterfly and bird garden at your school * Grow vegetables and fruit trees at home and at school--grow some of your own food. * If you have a wet area in your schoolyard, plant wetland plants Help migrating birds and butterflies by clicking here: Journey North |
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