What can individuals do to help Save-the-Earth?
April showers bring May flowers here at Solar Youth! With ecology being one of our main tenets of teaching, the Children’s program has been focusing on stewardship over the Earth. The month began with intensive Earth Day planning. Stewards had full autonomy over which projects they would focus on for the month, choosing: trash cleanups, recyclable art activities and earth-related C-SAPs (Community Service Action Projects).
In West Rock, Stewards cleaned up litter from the woods nearby, and used found materials to create a wire trash sculpture bearing the SY logo. The fun at West Rock continued through a collaboration with the Community Builders Interns. Working one-on-one with the Stewards, the Interns helped plant flowers to create a blossoming butterfly garden. It was so much fun for everyone to get their hands dirty and create something beautiful together in nature.
Eastview Terrace Stewards also got busy during their Earth day week. The goal was to create a peaceful space outside of the community building where people could come, sit, and meditate amidst plants and butterflies. Using recycled tires found all over the city, each Steward chose a tire to design and decorate, then split into teams to plant gorgeous flowers including lavender, mint, and beautiful carnations to match different themes on the tires. We have a Buzz Lightyear tire, a Watermelon tire, a Peace and Love tire, and a multicolor Earth tire! By the time they were finished, Stewards were incredibly proud of what they had created. “These are so cool!” one Steward remarked as he stood back to admire our hard work, “I can’t wait for the butterflies to hatch!”
Finally, the month ended with some finishing touches to our Earth-based Community Service Action Projects. Eastview Terrace created kindness rocks to decorate the space surrounding our garden and patio with phrases, characters, and adorable designs. The project was an idea birthed by one of our Youth Leaders in Training, and she took full control over directing and accomplishing the project. Stewards from West Rock also put the finishing touch on their CSAP. After brainstorming possible ideas to improve their community, they decided to uplift the many pet owners in the area by providing them with animal health care packages including treats and pet food. After surveying the neighborhood to learn what was needed most, the Stewards made it happen. The neighbors of the area were touched and thankful for what the Stewards and Youth Educators Interns were able to accomplish.
We hope that this month’s story encourages you to get out into the environment and make a difference!
