Bal Tashchit and Beyond: Green Sprouts Pledge To Protect Our Planet

Charlotte Jewish News May 2022

By Summer Minchew

In March, Shalom Green kicked off the first meeting of Green Sprouts, a monthly meetup for young environmentalists and their siblings. The club was envisioned by fifth-graders Nathan and Hannah. As children of environmentalists, caring for the earth is second nature; they don’t think twice about recycling, would never litter, and even sometimes turn the lights off after themselves.

But out in the world, they saw examples of others who weren’t doing their part. Nathan said, “A lot of people at my school were littering on the playground. So I got a group of people in my class to make no littering signs and help clean up the trash during recess. After that we were thinking, why are only the grown-ups dealing with this stuff? Why can’t kids do more to help the environment?” Nathan and Hannah wanted to create Green Sprouts to spread knowledge, share ideas, take action, and just have fun with other kids who care about the environment.

Shalom Green leadership ran with their idea and is thrilled with the results. We had a fantastic group of kids for our first meetup. Our theme was “Be Green.” We read a book about ways kids can help the environment, and then participants shared their own ideas. The older kids jotted these ideas down

on the “Green Sprouts Pledge To Protect our Planet” poster, and then participants signed the pledge with their names and individual handprints.

The Green Sprouts, ages 5-11, shared their ideas to help protect our planet:

- Recycle right, understand what can and can’t be recycled.

- Encourage your parents to purchase an electric vehicle when it is time for a new car. (The parents just loved this one!) - Ride your bikes. - Save leftovers and actually eat them so you don’t waste food. - Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

- Organize a community cleanup at a local beach or roadway. If plastic waste gets into the ocean,

it can hurt the fish and turtles.

- Save water! Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth and soap your hands. Take shorter showers and shallower baths.

- Organize an anti-littering campaign at your school or neighborhood.

- Compost. Turn food scraps into soil for new plants.

- Take public transportation. The light rail is cool!

- Don’t leave the refrigerator door open. - Eat organic foods. - Have a natural lawn, don’t spray chemicals. - Save paper by drawing on both sides.

- Use less plastic. Bring your own reusable straw and say no to plastic tops on cups. - Be committed to a cause. - Attend Green Sprouts! Green Sprouts will meet monthly, March through November, and is free to attend. Space is limited. Registration for each event is unique, so even if you missed the first few, it’s not too late to take part. Upcoming themes include: Global Citizens, where Green Sprouts will learn about the UN Global Development Goals and become Climate Action Superheroes; and Local Food Production, where Green Sprouts will meet a small production farmer and learn about the importance of caring for the earth. During the summer months, we will celebrate bees, butterflies, and worms! Here are some things the kids have to say about Green Sprouts:

“I think kids are very nice and try their best. They are hard workers and never give up, and they can make a difference.” Judah, age 8

“Kids are really good problem solvers with giant imaginations. We have fresh eyes and not as many bad habits as grownups, so we can more easily start good habits ... like biking instead of driving, planting gardens because we already like to play in dirt, upcycling cardboard boxes to make art or toys or something else. We also like to reuse stuff by wearing our siblings’ clothes and then sharing with friends when they’re too small on us.” Mabel, age 7

“Kids can help heal the environment even though we’re not as old and don’t have as much experience. We’re still able to do lots of small things like turn off the lights when we leave a room and don’t use plastic lids at restaurants. A bunch of small things add up to make a big difference.” Arlo, age 10

I have been doing environmental work for almost 20 years. I have at times been frustrated, challenged, enlightened, and in this moment, filled with hope. In the hands of these young environmentalists, the future is bright. “I thought the first meeting of Green Sprouts was awesome,” said co-founder Hannah. “I had hoped that kids would like it and learn something and then be inspired to do more. I think we accomplished that. I can’t wait for the next one.”

Jewish tradition teaches the importance of caring for the environment, for we must act as partners in preserving creation. If you are interested in supporting Shalom Green or have ideas for educational programming, please contact us at info@shalomgreenCLT.org. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ShalomGreen_ CLT and visit our website at www.shalomgreenCLT.org.

Liam, age 5, with eco-ideas notebook project.