The Momma Clan

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”

Have you ever gazed up at the blue sky or plucked a beautiful leaf and grinned? Nature provides us with so many blessings—fresh air, clean water, animals to adore, and trees to climb. But recently, our planet is not doing too great. It needs our assistance.

Everywhere in the world, everyone is seeing major changes. Summers become warmer, rains don’t arrive at the right time, and animals lose their habitats. Why is this? Because humans have been chopping too many trees, producing too much plastic, and contaminating the water and air. These things are harming the Earth.

This is where environmental reporting comes in. It is akin to being a detective and storyteller all at once. Environmental reporters discover what is happening to nature and share it with the world. They assist individuals in understanding how to protect the world and live better lives.

“A little spark can start a great fire.”

Small changes can bring about enormous differences. For instance, in a town, kids began to plant trees at weekends. Before long, the entire neighborhood was joining in. In another city, people began to leave the plastic bags in the shop and use cloth bags instead. These are the kind of things that journalists can report to the world in order to make other people do the same.

I will tell you my story.

My school organized a “Clean and Green” week last year. I made up my mind to give up using plastic water bottles and persuaded my peers to do so too. We all brought steel or reusable bottles with us. Then, we made posters on saving water and refusing plastic and planted five saplings in the garden of our school.

Originally, only our class was participating. But before long, other classes got involved too! Our project was even highlighted in the school newsletter, and a local paper wrote an article about it. It was fantastic to realize that our small acts were making such a big difference. That’s when I realized how powerful storytelling about the Earth can be!

Earth Day, which comes around every April, reminds us to be gentle with nature. But we don’t have to wait for one special day—we can take care of the Earth every day! Environmental reporting reminds us of the issues and also teaches us the solutions.

When we know better, we do better.

Here are some easy things we can all do:

• Turn off lights when not in use.
• Reuse water bottles and refuse plastic.
• Plant trees or even potted plants.
• Walk or bicycle rather than drive cars for short distances.
• Discuss with others how to contribute to the environment.

Each time you decide to do something beneficial for nature, you are a hero for the planet.  Reporters can report your story, and perhaps even encourage someone from far away to do the same!

“Many hands make light work.”

If we all join hands, we can restore the Earth to health. We don’t need superpowers—just kind hearts, caring minds, and helpful hands.

So next time you see a tree, thank it for the oxygen you breathe. If you see a bird, smile and recall that it needs clean air just like you. And when you discard something, wonder if it can be reused or recycled.

Let’s be nice to our earth. After all, it is the only place we have.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

It’s never too late to be different. Let’s begin today!

-Sujata Maggoo