A New Generation of Heroes for the Planet

By Charles P. Alexander/Editor, Heroes for the Planet

Today's children--born into disposable diapers, weaned on throwaway juice boxes and spoon-fed from single-serving snack cups--are avid consumers of the culture of convenience. But theirs is also the first generation to learn the three Rs of environmentalism (reduce, recycle, reuse), right along with the more traditional Rs of grade school.

Their precocious commitment to the environment can be credited in large measure to an international legion of educators dedicated to instilling Earth appreciation in young people. This week, in a special 13-page report, we feature leading environmental educators, along with some of the enterprising youngsters they have inspired. The report coincides with Earth Day and is the latest installment of our continuing environmental series, Heroes for the Planet.

Also arriving in time for Earth Day in schools across America is a special issue of TIME FOR KIDS, TIME's classroom magazine. The issue is the culmination of an effort begun in the fall, when TFK issued a challenge to its readers in Grades 4 through 6. This challenge was not for the homework faint-of-heart: students were asked to conceive, plan and execute a project that would improve some aspect of the environment in their community. TFK promised to publish a report on standout projects in the last of its three-part series of environment-themed special issues, produced with the support of Ford Motor Co.

"We try to give kids ownership of the world every week in TIME FOR KIDS," says Martha Pickerill, TFK's assistant managing editor, who oversaw the Kid Heroes project. "This special issue allowed us to do that even more directly. Our readers got the chance to really take action."

Scores of kids did just that. Entries, many illustrated and written in a child's hand, funneled in from across the country, describing a wide range of Earth-friendly enterprises.

In the oceanside town of Margate, N.J., children recycled Christmas trees as a means to stave off beach erosion. They planted castoff trees in a trench along the beach, which trapped wind-blown sand and anchored a new sand dune. "The trees were heavy, and some were bigger than me!" recalls fourth-grader Jim Abbott. When fierce nor'easters rushed across the beach, the dune built by kids and bolstered by balsam firs held up, while nearby dunes washed away.

Another successful project was the brainchild of a fourth-grade class in Lake Isabella, Calif. The class had been studying trout, an integral but beleaguered species in the area. To educate their community and tourists about the fish's plight, students built a model trout stream, complete with signs describing the trout's life cycle. Their handiwork will now welcome and enlighten thousands of visitors each year.

In Carol Stream, Ill., fourth-graders found a new use for their discarded sneakers: recycled-rubber playground surfaces. Meanwhile, their peers in Knoxville, Tenn., built 17 bird feeders and drew wildlife to an urban area formerly devoid of birds and squirrels.

One of the most ambitious responses to TFK's challenge came all the way from Guaynabo, P.R. Third-graders there planted more than 1,500 trees and flowers in areas that had been devastated by Hurricane Georges. "What I liked about our project," says Nicole Rodriguez, 8, "is that planting makes people feel proud, and we get other kids to join in."

That kind of pride will inspire kids to continue caring for the environment well into adulthood, says Pickerill. "These kids have the confidence and knowledge to carry the torch of environmental education," she says. "They really believe in themselves and think they can make a difference."

We think so too.

Charles P. Alexander Editor, Heroes for the Planet