July is here! Environmental activities and education for kids from Tessa Hill

July is usually hot and sunny in the U.S. and Canada, filled with summer activities like fishing, camping, picnicking and family vacations. Kids often spend lots of time outside enjoying the warm weather. Take time to review some rules about protecting everyone from too much sun. Check out Unsun Fun to learn how to keep skin safe in summer while having fun outdoors. Also we have included a KSE Envirahealth Alert from The Environmental Working Group about best choices for safe sun blocks.

July is also a good time to educate your students about how to put the sun to work in a way that can help protect the Earth's health. Review activities in our Sun Power - A Bright Idea to help kids learn about solar power and how they can encourage governmental leaders to support sustainable energy practices.

Because many Congress members are in their districts visiting constituents during the summer, it's a great time to set up a visit to their local offices. Click on Meet Your Congressperson to learn how you can talk with them about your environmental concerns. Freedom to express your concerns is much of what July 4th is all about.

The United States, France and Canada have special national holidays to celebrate and honor their countries in July. If any KSE international members would like to include their national holidays on any month of our KSE calendar, please email us to let us know.

We are also looking for your opinions about our web site. Tell us what you like about it and give us suggestions for what you would like to see on our site. Email us your thoughts.

If you are on a summer break, now is the perfect time to gather photos, drawings, letters or whatever you have that shows us what your Defenders of the Planet are doing to help protect the Earth. Those of you who filled out the membership forms promising to send artwork and more, Today is the Day. Send or email us all this information. We will add you to our Defenders of the Planet page. We want to tell the world what our members are doing.

Finally, we need your support.  Buying green products from our KSE Green Shop or contributing a donation will be greatly appreciated.  There is so much Earth-saving work ahead and we can't do it without your support. A $2 donation from each of you would provide us enough funding for one year.  I don't receive a salary and we run KSE on a very small budget.  Please consider donating! 

And don't forget to Like KSE on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter.

For the Earth and its children,

Tessa Hill
President, Kids for Saving Earth
www.kidsforsavingearth.org
Office: 763-559-1234
37955 Bridge Road
North Branch, MN 55056

Save Our Parks!

Kids for Saving Earth is Headquartered in Minnesota, U.S.A. Here in Minnesota, we are fortunate to have 74 state parks and recreation areas, 56 state forest campgrounds and day use areas, and a handful of national parks, trails, and monuments.

I was lucky enough to visit one of these parks last month. On the North Shore of Lake Superior, Judge C.R. Magney State Park features over 4,600 acres of park land which includes hiking trails, campsites, and Devil's Kettle Falls on the Brule River.

The land was set aside in 1957. Over fifty years later, people come from all over the region to camp, hike, learn and experience nature in a way they can't elsewhere. Wildlife habitat is protected and preserved. Nature is allowed to flourish.

Devil's Kettle Falls on the Brule River

Rapids on the Brule River

Growth on the forest floor

Forest growth after the rain

Forest floor "carpeting"

State and national parks, trails, and forests are important for any region. They teach us about wildlife areas that existed all over the Earth before human settlements, cities, and suburbs. However, with the slump in the economy, many city, state, and national park budgets are being cut, eliminating important resources to keep these parks open.

It's remarkable how influential kids can be when they make their voices heard to important decision-makers. Kids for Saving Earth has put together an activity for kids who want to save their local parks: Save Our Parks!

Help pass the message on to our local and national leaders that parks are important!

It's June (already)! Summer eco-activities for kids

Hello Friends of Kids for Saving Earth!

June launches the summer season, so get out and enjoy the world of nature. Our June calendar is filled with links to nature activities. If school is still in session, take students on a trip to a forest or even a woodsy backyard. Order the KSE book A Trip to the Forest to help lead you through a forest adventure. Parents also will find it useful on a camping trip.

Clinton's Backyard Habitat eco-activity is a great way to encourage kids' appreciation of the important balance of nature and teach them how to create their own outdoor nature research center.  Print out this page for your students to take home for a summer activity.

Saving our community, state and national parks is an extremely important way to protect the Earth's health and promote a healthy understanding of the natural world for kids. Check this out to see how you and your students can help the Save Our Parks campaign.

Don't forget to tweet or blog about whatever activity you choose to do this month. We love hearing about new ideas and success stories.

Also remember that Kids for Saving Earth needs support. Contributions are greatly appreciated. Purchases from the KSE Green Shop provide additional support.

Thanks so much for helping kids help the Earth. Be sure to ask your students to "like" us on the Kids for Saving Earth Facebook page.


For the Earth and its children,

Tessa Hill
President, Kids for Saving Earth
www.kidsforsavingearth.org
Office: 763-559-1234
37955 Bridge Road
North Branch, MN 55056

Join the KSE Wildflower Team

Spring flowers are in full bloom! And that includes wildflowers in our parks, neighborhoods, and even in our own backyards! Pinks, reds, and yellows pop up throughout forest floors, prairies, and parks.

A fun and effective way to get kids outside and interested in nature is to take some time to observe the wildflowers that bloom this time of year. KSE has a great activity set up for kids, families, and classrooms to Join the KSE Wildflower Team. It's easy!

	Take a hike in the woods or a meadow and take your camera or your sketch book along with you.
	Simply take photos or enjoy sketching the wildflower plant.
	Record the location where you found it and try to find it's name.To find out the name of the wildflower you have discovered, it isbest to "google" wildflowers by your state.  For example: Wildflowers in Minnesota
	Email photos or scanned colorful artwork to kse@kidsforsavingearth.org or snail mail to:
	37955 Bridge Road, North Branch, MN 55056
	Include your first name, email address and school or other group, city and state..
	Check this KSE Wild Flower Wise web site to see your photos or art on line
	Plant a wildflower garden and put a wildflower wild sign in the area you planted.

And be sure to check out our page of wildflower photos submitted by other Defenders of the Planet.

Welcome to May! A message from Tessa Hill

Hello Friends of Kids for Saving Earth!

May is a month to be enjoyed outside. Take time to take your students outside to soak up some sun and the wonders of nature. The more children learn to love nature, the more they will want to protect it. This May calendar is filled with activities you can do outside.

Take your kids on a hike to look for wildflowers. Make sure to have them bring cameras if they have them, or let them borrow one to take photos of their favorite wildflowers. They can email the photos to KSE and we will place them on our Wild Flower Team page.

In Minnesota, where the Kids for Saving Earth headquarters is located, we celebrate the opening fishing season in May.  People fill the highways headed to their favorite lake to catch their favorite fish--most often walleye. It's ironic that they often do things that aren't so good for those beautiful lakes or the aquatic habitat. For example, most people are still using sinkers made from lead, a very toxic material. Check out our Get the Lead Out campaign to learn how your students can help encourage politicians to make laws to protect children and animals from lead poisoning.

Getting the word out about your activities is an important way to inspire others to act to protect the Earth. Ask your students to become KSE reporters and write emails or letters to their local newspapers or TV newscasters. Tell the kids to say they are reporters from Kids for Saving Earth. Click here to learn more about this Earth-saving activity.

Don't forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Tell your friends and associates to join the Kids for Saving Earth team.

Happy spring!


For the Earth and its children,

Tessa Hill

President, Kids for Saving Earth