“Close your eyes” and think back to when you were in elementary school. What did you learn about? Most likely, you learned basic math, reading and spent a lot of time making really cute art. You probably didn’t learn about the environment and scarcity of natural resources. In fact, that information probably didn’t cross your curriculum until high school or college.

I will admit that until high school, I was not even aware that the environment existed. To me, the forest, water, flora and fauna were always things that were just kind of there. Freshman year in high school I had a great biology teacher, Mr. Milestone, who required 25 hours of public service to pass his class. I signed up to participate in the extermination of invasive species (plucking plants that looked all the same to me) in the Crissy Field, a wetlands area in San Francisco. But I learned about the environment and how we can all do little things to help preserve it. I think that was my first step as an activist and advocate.

If we learn about the environment, we are more likely to protect it. This means if we learn about the environment early on, say in elementary school, we will grow up more aware and are more likely to curb habits that have an adverse effect on the environment. Recently, I came across a water conservation poetry contest from the NYC’s Dep. of Environmental Protection. Kids in elementary school wrote about water and why it’s important to conserve it. They will grow up into conscious citizens. Now, imagine what a positive impact everyone could have if environmental education was mandatory and every kid grew up with a sense of moral obligation. Here is one of the many wonderful poems:

Drip Drop

Drip drop, drip drop
We use water a lot,
We must be careful not to waste
Water when we use toothpaste
Water is a precious gift
It allows the boat to drift.
Water cools us down when we’re hot,
And it helps the flowers in the pot.
Water‘s hot, water’s cold
Let us drink ‘til we are old.
Water’s good, water’s fresh
Let’s be sure to waste it less.
Drip drop, drip drop,
We think that water rocks!

Talib
St. Agatha School
Brooklyn
4th Grade