 The long, arduous school year is over and summer is finally here. But, with all that extra free time, what can a teen do to keep occupied? The answer is in our own backyard.
At first, summer gardening might seem like a boring way to spend your school-free hours, but the experience is rewarding and helps our planet. There is a garden type for every personality. Those who like flowers can grow a beautiful flower garden: daisies, rose bushes, lilacs, and more can all be found at nurseries across the United States. Or how about a fruit and vegetable garden? People can grow their own fruits and veggies and eat them when they are ripe. Growing your own food not only is fun, but it can be healthier than the products you find in your local grocery store that are treated with pesticides and chemicals.
Those that do not have a large backyard should not worry. There are plenty of options for people with limited space. Window boxes with flowers adds a nice touch to small spaces. Or go to a local park and ask permission to plant a tree. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon, and helps to beautify the neighborhood.
The presidential family are even trying their hand at making the White House a more environmentally friendly home for themselves and their staff. First Lady, Michelle Obama planted a White House garden with local fifth graders, and a garden planted in March has already reportedly produced 80 pounds of lettuce. Their presidential vegetable garden provides healthy food options to the Obama family and according to Sloan Barnett, author of Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Planet, “[the White House garden] is a wonderful example to the country about what can be done in a backyard—the ultimate example of local!” Food grown locally are not only cheaper, but better for our planet because they do not have to be flown across the states to get from one place to another.
Not a dirt and soil fan? Kristen Powers, a Do Something Youth Advisory Council member, says that there are plenty of ways to help our environment without getting all those grass stains. As a teen, Powers believes that “teens have an amazing impact on the world”, and she is right. Even simple things like changing to biodegradable cleaning products, turning lights off when leaving, using fluorescent light bulbs and eating a healthier diet can make our Earth a greener and friendlier place to live.
Want more ideas on how to make your home and garden cleaner and greener? Head over to www.GreentheWhiteHouse.com . Created by Barnett, the site to give kids ideas on how to make their houses more “green”. They can also upload ideas and pictures on ideas to make the White House an environmentally friendly environment. According to Barnett, it does not matter if your changes are not drastic, but “…the changes we can all make---big and small---everyday to make a difference in our health and the planet” is what counts. It may seem that teens cannot do a lot to make an impact on our Earth and its health, but when teamed together, we can make big changes. As Powers says, “these are the best years to make a change in our community and alter the stereotype of lazy, no-good teenagers. It's time we took control of it
[Photo Credit: http://www.happynews.com/]
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