Saturday, May 12, 2012

Visiting Author Inspires Young Stewards for the Planet

By David Kowalski

Lynne Cherry, a children's author, illustrator and filmmaker, visited Windermere and Smallwood Elementary Schools this week to interact with the children and encourage them to explore Nature through observation, drawing and writing.

Cherry also gave an evening presentation which I attended at Smallwood Elementary School. She spoke while showing slides and film clips from her "Young Voices for the Planet" project. She encouraged children and parents to enjoy Nature more (and TV less) and to protect our environment. She introduced them to clean energy sources through images of wind turbines and solar panels, as well as through group participation in a song featuring Pete Seeger in a music video  called "SolarTopia!"

She carries her own reusable spoon and bowl when she travels, as shown in the photo below taken at Windermere School. She does so to avoid using disposable plastic utensils and dishware. She also favors a ban on plastic bags.  
Derek Gee / Buffalo News
Derek Gee / Buffalo News

Cherry told me that she explained to the children the concept of watersheds, and how plastic waste can make its way from land to streams, rivers and lakes, and ultimately pollute Earth's oceans, which are all interconnected.

Lynne Cherry is the author and/​or illustrator of over thirty award-winning books for children. Her best-selling books, such as The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran Wild, teach children to respect Earth. To learn more about these and other books, visit her personal website.

"Young Voices For The Planet" is a series of short films produced by Lynne Cherry. She has documented inspiring success stories of older kids shrinking their carbon footprint, finding solutions to the global warming crisis, banning plastic bags, planting trees, reducing waste, experiencing the excitement of scientific discovery through citizen-science, and conducting energy audits that save energy and money. View the video trailer below:


You can view all of the films in Lynne Cherry's "Young Voices For The Planet" series here.

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