School is a great place to get other kids involved in green living. Ask your teacher if your class will study the environment in science this year and if you can do some green projects when they relate to what you are learning. Even when your class is studying habitats, like rainforests, you can start talking about green topics. Share some of the activities and fun facts you learned in this book with your class. Plan some green projects that your school can do on Earth Day.

Start Paper Recycling at School

Schools use tons of paper. It is a good place to save a lot of paper…and trees! Talk to your teacher about your recycling idea. If your teacher likes the idea, you can have everyone in your class who wants to bring in a cardboard box with the top flaps cut off. Decorate the boxes by drawing colorful trees, flowers, mountains, and lakes. Then write in big letters, “Save Trees — Recycle!” Deliver them around the school to the classes who want them. Collect ten cool facts about trees to give out with your recycling boxes to get people motivated. You can start with the ones found in this book! Start a contest to see which class can recycle the most paper. This might motivate kids to help out. Give out baby trees as prizes!

Be Proud to Be a Green School

Talk to your principal about your school becoming a “Green School.” There are many advantages to becoming a Green School, like improving learning about the environment through hands-on activities to make the school more energy efficient. It can also save the school money by reducing energy costs. You can get information about becoming a Green School from the Alliance to Save Energy at www.ase.org.

Using School Grounds to Learn about Nature

Many schools have wetlands on their properties, even if it is just a small wet area with cattails. There can be some interesting life cycles going on there. Ask your teacher if your class can go out to look around on school grounds for signs of animals (or plants) in the spring and see what's there. You might find some interesting things! Go to the EPA site and learn about how your class can participate in the “Adopt-a-Wetland” program at www.epa.gov/region4/water/wetlands/education/adopt.html.

Combining Community Service with Green Activities

Talk to your teacher about having your class “adopt” a roadway or park to keep clean. It is a great way to take part in community service while picking up litter! Once your class does it, maybe other classes will want to adopt a road to keep clean too. Contact your county Department of Transportation for guidelines about adopting a roadway to keep clean.

Or you could have a “Protect the Environment” poster contest at school to raise awareness about pollution issues. Give organic chocolate as the prize.