August 28, 2010

Many of you have been following the articles written by our 10-year-old environmental blogger, Alana G. We first met Lana back in June, when she wrote to me about how distressed she was about the oil spill in the Gulf, asking what she could do. I replied that although she might not be able to directly influence what happens in the Gulf, she could decide to act environmentally and be a voice for Earth in her community.

I also offered her a chance to write for this blog, suggesting that perhaps she would write three or four stories over the summer, since there is a lot of work involved in actually doing the activities before you can write about them.

Alana surpassed all expectations. She formed her friends and their families into a group called Kids Today for a Better Tomorrow. She landed her own segment, "Alana’s Corner," on a local radio show. She even spoke in front of her City Council and convinced the local Chamber of Commerce to support her group’s activities. And today we are publishing her final blog posting of the summer - her NINTH article!

Alana has asked if she can continue to do an occasional piece of writing for us during the school year, and her mother supports that (as long as she keeps up with her fifth grade schoolwork). I would certainly like to continue to follow Alana’s activities. How about you?

- Seymour

Hello fellow Shipmates,

I have a question for you. Have you ever been to a "Farmers Market?" Maybe there is one close to your home or maybe you have visited one while on a vacation or road trip. If you have that is great but for those of you who haven’t been to one there is no need to worry. Alana G was on scene. For those of you who might not even know what a Farmers Market is, I got the low down on these secret markets. 

It was sooo cool. I met many new friends and I learnt so much. Here is what I learned. Farmers Markets are usually held weekly in some form of outdoor setting like a parking lot or public center. It is where a bunch of local farmers and vendors come together to serve the public directly without you having to go into a store to buy things. Awesome!!! They had me at "Outdoors."

Farmers’ Markets are known for selling locally grown and very fresh produce. Some people think that farmers’ markets allow farmers to pick produce when it’s at its best flavor, preserving the vitamin and mineral content of the fresh...

August 15, 2010

Hello fellow Shipmates,

Wow! It is mid August already…where has time gone? I never expected this summer to pass by so quickly but at least it has been a summer I will never forget. So what have you guys been up to? Has your summer been a summer you won’t forget too? Have you had a chance to do any outdoor activities, like camping or hiking yet? I’d love to hear about it. Or maybe you have gone to a museum, hung out with your Girl Scout or Boy Scout troops or attended a summer camp. If you have, please make sure to comment below. It makes me so happy to hear what everyone else is up to.

As for KTFBT (Kids Today for a Better Tomorrow), we have been busy little beavers. A group of us just recently headed out to a local Southern Californian forest to conduct a wilderness trail & river clean up. We went to a special place that us locals call Azusa Canyon, which is up in the San Gabriel Mountains. I was so happy to go because it was suggested by one of our KTFBT families, The Salazars. I thought it was very cool of them to have contacted us with their concerns.

They were very sad because they had gone up there a week before for a family trip but were sooo disappointed to have arrived only to be surrounded by trash and debris. Their dad, Peter, said that he had been going to Azusa Canyon for over 20 years even with his own father and it disgusted him how people had just abused and trashed one of his favorite places. It made him sad. So of course after talking with the Salazars, I spoke with our KTFBT members and we all agreed this forest was in need of our help. This forest is just as important as any forest but is very special in its own way. For instance, the San Gabriel Mountains’ wrinkled slopes and wildly lush canyons are also home to very special creatures. It is the habitat and playground of many rare and endangered species, like the Nelson’s bighorn sheep, mountain yellow-legged frogs, Santa Ana sucker fish and Pacific pond turtles. (And as you all know… turtles are dear to my heart

So quick as a flash (okay maybe not that fast but still within days), we were ready to go out and help restore the Salazars’ favorite family spot to its former glory. I couldn’t wait. The drive up there was beautiful.

All sorts of different trees surrounded us. Some tall, some short, some skinny, some fat, but each and every one of them beautiful in their own way. We also saw the San Gabriel reservoir (which is a man-made lake with a dam that collects the water of the many rivers that flow through the mountains). It was just beautiful.

When we finally got to the trail alongside the river we were amazed by how beautiful it was. I wouldn’t have even known this place was there if we hadn’t walked down into the canyon to find it. It was just great!!! We could only hear the sounds of nature all around us. The sound of the fast flowing river was so beautiful. I wish I’d had my recorder so I could take the sounds home with me, but it’s okay because I can...

August 5, 2010

Alana G. is ten years old, a great friend of Earth, and is working with us this summer to report on her activities as an environmentalist in her own community. Here is her most recent report.

- Seymour

Hello fellow Shipmates,

            I can’t believe how fast this summer is flying by. I wish I could stop the clock or at least add more hours to my day because I have so much more crusading that I would like to do before the summer ends. But that’s okay, I will just continue to parade up and down the streets of Southern California, spreading our message, fighting pollution and battling Planet Poachers with our friends from "KIDS TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW" for as long as I can. As a matter of fact, a friend of mine asked me last week "With Summer coming to an end do you feel sad that your KTFBT group will be over?" Hmm… I paused for a moment to think about it and then I said "No! Who ever said that my crusade would have to be over?" I sure didn’t. The way I see it is, my journey has just begun. This world is humungous. Bigger then we can ever imagine and with change happening everyday there will always be a poor little animal to defend, an ocean to protect and eco systems all over the world that will need our help to save them and it all starts at home with each and every one of us.

            There are little changes that we can make in our daily lives that can have a huge impact on the world around us. And just like you, I want to learn as much as I can to make sure that I am living a sustainable life or in other words, a planet friendly life. Like Seymour has mentioned to us all before, if we all do our best at lowering our carbon footprints we can help slow down the greenhouse effect that is causing the Earth’s climate change. Not sure what that means? Don’t worry; I’m sure Seymour will come to our rescue. (Seymour…can you help a kiddo out please?)* I learned all about climate change (well, not all but a lot) because I’ve always wondered about it and what all fuss was about when I heard my parents or the news talking about "Global Warming." My mom tried to explain it to me and I also did some research on the Internet and then I kind of understood what is going on but not enough to feel confident enough to explain it to someone else which really bugged me. I always try to learn things well enough where I feel comfortable telling someone else…like you…what it is I am trying to explain.

Well, then I met Seymour Simon and now I know to never fear…Seymour’s here. Seymour was kind enough to send me a copy of his book called "Global Warming." It is a great book because it is easy for us kids to understand but still tells us everything we need to know. Like, did you know that Polar bears live in the Artic and depend of the sea ice to live? Well, because of climate change the sea ice is disappearing right before our very eyes. They ice and glaciers are melting. :-( It is sooo sad. And if the ice melts it adds water to the oceans which...

July 29, 2010

We have a new posting today from Alana G., a fifth grade student and our special environmental reporter on the Seymour Science Blog this summer. The group she founded, Kids Today for a Better Tomorrow (KTFBT) has been busy all summer, pursuing various environmental activities to better their Southern California community. As I said to Alana when we first met, it is a joy to have her as a shipmate on Planet Earth.

-    Seymour

Hello fellow Shipmates,

            I’m not sure if you remember the trip that I had taken to Amy’s Farm to be part of their science of farming camp. I’ll give you a little recap just in case you don’t. At the farm I learned all about the physics of simple machines & the life science of animal anatomy, but my favorite thing that I learned about was Botany (which is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life.)  :-) It basically means I learned all about plant cells, their parts and what they do.

            I can’t believe how amazing it is. It really is so cool how such tiny little seeds can grow into such beautiful plants. I have to say…Life on earth is miraculous! I wanted to learn more so I was very happy that I was also able to work in their garden where I learned how to plant and harvest vegetables and fruits. I was shocked at how much work it takes not only to plant the seeds but how much work goes into preparing the ground for the crops. I don’t know how exactly to explain it, but they use organic compost. Organic compost helps the farm to be sustainable. Sustainable is another subject we could use Seymour’s help on. (Seymour, can you please help us out?*  Plus, they have to harvest and wash the crops before they are sent off to the farmers market or local food banks and homeless shelters. (I think it is so cool that they help the needy.) Overall, the life of a farmer is no easy job at all, but I love it!

            Being on the farm reminded me of something. Do you remember learning in school about our American ancestors, the Pilgrims? If you don’t, they were some of the first settlers in the colonies. The Pilgrims, just like the Indians, had to find ways to live and adapt to the land and their environment and with the help of the Indians they set up a plantation at Plymouth Rock. Now if you think back to the Pilgrims’ days, they didn’t have it easy like we do. Can you think of some of the differences...

July 17, 2010

Hello fellow Shipmates,

I am very happy to report that our crusade to help save our planet Earth has been going great! How is it going on your end? You wouldn’t believe it…I was so flattered and excited. I was asked by Nick Federoff from Sustainable Environmental Education and ThingsGreen.com to go and speak to a group of teenage foreign exchange students from Italy and Germany (Thank you Nick.) They wanted me to tell them about our crusade and about "KTFBT." I also told them all about how I became Seymour’s environmental reporter. They were very surprised to hear about everything we have been doing. They will be here for three weeks. It is really cool because they had told us that there is a lot of pollution where they live and one of the reasons they came to America is because they are here on a green initiative. Their group is called the "Center for Cultural Interchange "and they are partnered with a foundation called "GREEN HEART." Green Heart in part, helps to sponsor the teens so they can come out to volunteer and learn about environmental projects. Green Heart officials say that in order to become a Green Heart exchange volunteer, "No experience or special skills are required-just enthusiasm, an open mind, and a genuine desire to help."  Isn’t that awesome? There are teens from all around the world who are going out and traveling all over the globe in order to volunteer.

We had a wonderful time hanging out and talking. We also got to go the Things Green Learning Center in the Greater Los Angeles, California area where we were learned about the benefits of gardening and planting flowers and vegetables, especially trees and about the importance of sustainability. We also got to plant a California poppy flower.  It is actually the state flower of California. I hadn’t ever planted these types of seeds before. I was really surprised because the seeds were super tiny. Who would think that something so tiny can grow into something so beautiful?  I even got to help Nick teach them how to plant and water the seeds. I felt so important. 

You might think that hanging out with the teens was cool, but it gets even better. During this entire time Nick’s camera crew was there filming so I might even get included in a documentary that Nick is recording.  : ) Whew hew!

Okay…Okay…so back to my story. I would like to share a lesson with you that I learnt that day from my new friends. My new friends taught me how to say Recycling and Recycle in Italian. : ) Recycle is Riciclare and Recycling is Riciclaggio in Italiano. Of course…you all know how I am. That inspired me to want to learn how to say these words in as many other languages as possible. Wouldn’t that be so great… since my ultimate goal is to spread our message all around the world? 

This whole experience has been amazing and we are only half way through summer. I still can’t believe that I have new friends from Europe that are going to help spread the KTFBT message and are also going to start to follow my blog and Seymour’s website. I am so happy!!! 

Well my fellow shipmates…I must be going now…so remember to spread the word. This is "OUR PLANET.OUR FUTURE!" Also "ricordatevi di riciclare," which means remember to please recycle. As always thank you. I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. Until next time…

Arrivederci,

Alana G

"Science Rules!"

July 16, 2010

When Seymour met 10-year-old Alana G. at the beginning of June, she was a fourth grade student who had written to say how upset she was about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its effect on wildlife, particularly the sea turtles, in the Gulf. Seymour told her that he was upset, too, and suggested that she do everything she can in her own community to raise awareness about environmental issues so that things like this don’t happen in the future.

Think environmentally all your life, no matter what you decide to do as an adult. Talk about it to your friends. Read about it in books and on the web. Remain committed to the idea that it’s OUR planet and we need to protect it from being abused.

Alana took these words to heart, and as you know, she is now writing for the Seymour Science blog about what she and her friends - they call themselves KIDS TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW (KTFBT) - are doing in their community to make a difference. Regular readers know that the KTFBT have already volunteered on a sustainable farm and they also decorated an environmentally themed float for their community’s July 4^th parade. Alana has set up a Facebook page and a blog to communicate with her fellow environmental activists, and went and spoke in front of her City Council and asked for their support. Now we learn that she has also secured a weekly segment called "Alana’s Corner" on a local radio show called "Three Guys Rant"!

In this week’s segment, Alana spoke about Recycling, telling the "3 guys" everything she knows about what can and cannot be recycled. She will be on every week this summer, raising awareness for her cause.

If you would like to hear Alana G. on the radio, click on this link. Scroll down the list until you find "Three Guys Rant 07-14-10.mp3"

Right click (or on a Mac, Control+click) on the link and choose "Save Link As." Save it to your desktop, and now you will have a file that you can open with iTunes, or whatever program you use to listen to mp3s. Alana’s segment runs from 16:40 - 24:20.

We are so proud of everything she is doing. As Alana often reminds us, although they are "just kids," it is their planet, too!

July 7, 2010

We have a new post today from our 10-year-old environmental reporter, Alana G, who took advantage of the July 4th holiday celebration to bring her message to her community. What an inspiration she is!

—- Seymour

Hello fellow Shipmates,

            I hope that everyone had a wonderful 4^th of July holiday. I definitely did. My friends and I from my "KIDS TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW" group attended an old fashioned 4^th of July picnic in the Southern California city that we live in. There was all kinds of really cool stuff for us to do there. We got to play all day long, but the coolest thing we did was to create an environmental theme for the decorated wagon parade.

           My friends and I had a great time decorating our little wagon on Saturday.  We were very proud of our finished wagon. We tried to use as many recycled materials as possible, even the wagon we bought had been made from recycled materials. Anything that we used that was not made from recycled materials will not be wasted. We are going to do the next best thing….Re-use! And we are saving the decorations so we can use them next year. Anytime that you recycle or reuse products you help to reduce your carbon footprint, which is an awesome thing to do.

            My friends even decorated their scooters and bicycles to follow alongside our wagon. We received many very nice compliments and smiles as we walked by and even got a thumbs up. That made my day.  While we were there we ran into our city councilwoman, Gwenn Norton-Perry, who was so happy about all of the wonderful things we have been doing to help save our planet (that’s her in the photo on the right). She was amazed by how much our group has already accomplished in such a short amount of time. As she congratulated us on a job well done…I felt my cheeks turn red. Well…I guess it was more like a rosy pink. LOL. My friends were so excited and very proud to have met a city councilperson. We kept walking around with our wagon and passed out flyers for KT4BT. We have even teamed up with a local Cub Scout troop that has asked if they join us on our next...

June 23, 2010

What a day! I had an amazing time on the farm today and man am I tired. Today we studied all about Botany, which is the science of plants. We even got to dissect a flower today so that we can study its inside parts. You’re probably thinking "Dissect a plant?? Why, if there is nothing to see?" Some of you are thinking that it’s weird but a plant actually has many interesting parts inside that form the plant’s structure. Do you know why plants turn green? If not, I’ll tell you. Plants turn green because they are filled with Chlorophyll which makes them green.[1] Cool huh? We also got to harvest vegetables from the farm’s garden. We picked a ton of green beans for a B.B.Q. dinner that they are having for us tomorrow. Yummy!!! I am getting hungry just thinking about it. We also got to plant Black-Eyed Peas, not to be confused with the group. LOL…although we did sing a few of their tunes as we worked. : ) It was fun getting dirty.

Well, tomorrow is the big day and I am sad to say our last day of the Science of Farming Camp. We get to dissect the cow eyeball and the sheep heart that I was telling you about yesterday ...Yukkk!! But I am sure it will be a lot of fun. Like I said, I will fill you in more when I write my report for you. Yep, I am writing a report just for you so I can share all the wonderful stories and information I have learnt at camp with you. If you want to hear more about it, please make sure to check back in and read my blog. Oh and one more thing…don’t believe the hype…Farming IS COOL!!! Thanks for reading my blog, Fellow Shipmates!

Alana G

"Science Rules"

[1] Note from Seymour: Alana is right; chlorophyll does make plants look green. Not only does it make plants green, but chlorophyll is important for life on Earth, even for us non-green types, like you and me. Chlorophyll is a substance that plants use to make carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight. That’s called photosynthesis. Plants use photosynthesis to make the food they need and animals eat plants (or eat other animals that eat plants). So that stuff that turns plants green is the same stuff upon which life on Earth depends.

June 22, 2010

Hey fellow Shipmates!

    We just got home from our first day on the farm. It was Day 1 of 3 for the Science of Farming camp and we were farm scientists today! I wish you could have been there. We got to learn about the physics of farming and about simple machines. It was really cool. I also got to milk a cow and play with the animals. Tomorrow we will learn about Organic & Sustainable farming. Yay!! We are sooo tired. My mom says she is way out of shape. LOL. Plus, tomorrow we are going to get really dirty. I can’t wait. Oh and guess what… on Wednesday we are going to dissect a cow eye and a sheep’s heart. Yukkk! I am only going to do it for the love of science.

     I will write a full report when we finish our farming camp. I just couldn’t wait to tell you all about our exciting first day. Thanks for reading my blog.

Alana G

"Science Rules"

June 21, 2010

I’d like to introduce Alana G, a fifth grade student and our special environmental reporter on the Seymour Science Blog this summer. She’ll be telling us about her environmental activities in her own community and also about her thoughts as we go through the summer of the Gulf Oil Spill. As I said before, “Welcome Aboard Alana. It’s great to have you as a shipmate on Planet Earth.”

—- Seymour

Hey fellow Shipmates,

I am so excited! This is going to be the best summer vacation ever thanks to Seymour’s words of inspiration. I never would have imagined that I would become Seymour Simon’s new Youth Environmental Reporter, but here I am. One of the luckiest 10 year old kids there has ever been. I get to work with and write for my favorite children’s author, Seymour Simon, while doing what I love the most. Helping to “Save the World!”  Yes, you heard me right…I am going to “Save the World,” well, at least I’ll be doing my part by trying to. I want to know that I have made a difference on our planet because this is OUR PLANET and OUR FUTURE. We share this planet with all of the other creatures that live here including the Earth itself, but for some reason humans continue to destroy this beautiful world. 

So this summer I will be setting out into my local community to do environmental research and reporting. That might sound boring, but it’s totally not!  I am going to have such wonderful adventures this summer. Oh, I forgot to mention the coolest part. I have started a group called “KIDS TODAY FOR A BETTER TOMORROW.” This group includes all my friends and a ton of other kids from Southern California. (That is where I am from) We are going to have a blast. Not only will I get to hang out with all my friends this summer, we are actually going to be doing something amazing…we will be out improving our community and saving the planet at the same time. Isn’t that so cool?

So you might be wondering how this all came about. Well, I was really sad about the Gulf oil spill. My mom and I had been watching the daily updates. It broke my heart to hear about what was happening. All those poor sea...

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