Here are some projects that you might be able to participate in (or even start up!) in your community that are sure to have a positive environmental impact.

Adopt a Watershed, Stream, or Highway
Or park, or neighborhood, or school... The list of places where litter can sometimes accumulate is numerous. Many places have established programs where volunteers on a regular basis patrol the place they've adopted and remove any trash that may be there.

Locker Looting
At the end of the school year, many students "accidentally" leave things in their lockers. These items usually end up in the trash, which usually ends up in landfills or in an incinerator. Many of the items left in lockers can be recycled, others can even be reused. Organize a group to go to school after the last day of school and collect the items left in the lockers, deciding which can be reused, which can be recycled, and which need to be thrown away.

Organize an Awareness Week
You and maybe your classmates, too, have had the benefit of exploring this Power to Learn theme on the environment. Many others at your school and in your community have not, however. Ask your principal and/or people at other community locations, if you can publicize ways that everyone can make a difference and help the environment. Use tips that you find at this web site and other places, and figure out ways to get out the information. Challenge everyone to be aware of the energy and water they use and the trash they create.

Plainly, It Will Help
Plain paper stacks up everywhere. Junk mail and worksheets are among the many examples of plain paper. Many people (and places) are good about recycling newspapers, but they don't recycle plain paper. Much like the idea of the Recycle Corps, organize ways for people to separate their plain paper from their trash - don't throw it away, in other words! You and others can collect it and make sure that it is recycled. And there are recycling places that will pay for plain paper!

Planting for the Future
Home gardens and community gardens benefit the environment in numerous ways. When they produce vegetables, herbs, and flowers, people don't have to go out and buy them. They're often nice to look at and nice to smell. Of course, the plants can also take carbon dioxide out of the air and return oxygen. Try to set aside some space at home, or even a common area in your community and plant a small garden. Do a little research and find out what can grow, when to plant it, and how to nurture what you plant. And who knows, in tending to your garden, you may end up using less electricity because you will be outside!

Recycle Corps
Many places, including schools with juice and soft drink machines, produce plenty of recyclable waste that is not recycled. You can start a Recycle Corps that picks up recyclables and takes them to a nearby recycling center. (Sometimes you can get paid for the recyclables!) Begin by requesting that places offer the option to recycle - you can provide bins, or they can simply use boxes. Be sure that you and the others in the Recycle Corps pick up the recyclable often enough that they don't pile up!