Emily, who lived in a small town, was a child who loved nature very much. Every morning on her way to school, she would look at the trees along the roadside and listen to the birds singing. But lately, something had caught her attention. The park in the neighborhood had become littered with trash, and some trees had been cut down. The park, which used to be full of colorful flowers, now looked terrible. One day, her teacher came into the classroom and said they would be doing a project for Environment Week..

Sinem UZUN / Zübeyde Hanım Primary School/ TÜRKİYE

Sinem UZUN / Zübeyde Hanım Primary School/ TÜRKİYE

Gülcan Uslu/ Tavşanlı Cumhuriyet Primary School/ TÜRKİYE

Gülcan Uslu/ Tavşanlı Cumhuriyet Primary School/ TÜRKİYE

F.Özge KOÇ/Mehmet Ferhat Koçarslan İlköğretim Okulu/TÜRKİYE

F.Özge KOÇ/Mehmet Ferhat Koçarslan Primary School/TÜRKİYE

When her father came home, she immediately told him about the project as well. Just like her mother said, he was very happy to hear about it. He added that they could order saplings from a foundation that works to make nature greener and create a memorial forest for their class.

Emily could hardly wait to go to school the next morning and share this idea with her teacher and classmates. Before going to sleep, she thought about the whole day. She was so excited that she could not fall asleep. The park would be clean and beautiful again. And the dream of creating a memorial forest in the name of her class made her even happier. With the excitement of these wonderful thoughts, she finally drifted off to sleep.

BAHAR FUNDAOĞLU GÜRSOY/TRABZON BOZTEPE PRIMARY SCHOOL

BAHAR FUNDAOĞLU GÜRSOY/TRABZON BOZTEPE PRIMARY SCHOOL

         İsmail USLU Tavşanlı Cumhuriyet İlkokulu Kütahya TÜRKİYE

İsmail USLU  Tavşanlı Cumhuriyet İlkokulu

Kütahya TÜRKİYE

       Ticea Daniela-Sc. Gimn. ”Cpt. Av. MT Bădulescu” Buzău, România

Ticea Daniela-Sc. Gimn. ”Cpt. Av. MT Bădulescu” Buzău, România.

 Emily and her friends first collected the plastic, paper, and other trash scattered around the park. At first, the park looked very dirty, but when everyone worked together, it quickly began to change.Parents had also come to help the children. Some were digging the soil, while others were carrying saplings. Emily carefully held the small sapling in her hands.

“Will we come back to see this tree years later?” she asked.

Her teacher smiled and replied:

“Of course, Emily. Maybe when you grow up, you will come here and say, ‘We planted this tree.’”

Hearing this made Emily even happier. When it was her turn, she placed the small sapling into the ground together with her friends. Together, they covered it with soil and gave it water.

Funda ÖZCAN /Seyit Onbaşı İlköğretim Okulu/Etimesgut Ankara

At the end of the day, the park looked completely different. The trash had been collected, new saplings had been planted, and the cheerful voices of the children working could be heard everywhere.Emily and her friends took a commemorative photo in front of the trees they had planted. Their teacher turned to the children and said:

“Today, you did not only plant trees. You also showed how important it is to protect nature.”

Emily looked at the small sapling she had planted one last time. She thought about how this tiny sapling would one day grow into a big tree.

On the way home, she looked out of the bus window and whispered to herself:

“Protecting nature actually begins with one small step.”

And that day, Emily learned that even small people can make big changes.

Şule ŞAHİN TARHAN /Seyit Onbaşı İlköğretim Okulu/ Etimesgut Ankara

Aysun Şahin/Cumhuriyet İlkokulu/Kütahya Tavşanlı

At school, Emily could not stop thinking about her dream. During the break, she told her friends about the tall trees, colorful flowers, and happy animals she had seen.

"Maybe one day our park will look exactly like that," said one of her classmates.

The teacher listened carefully and smiled. Then she had a new idea.

"What if we keep taking care of the park all year long?" she asked. "We could water the young trees, collect litter, and watch how nature changes with each season."

The children looked at each other excitedly. They could not wait to hear more about the new plan.

NĂSTASĂ IOANA, GRĂDINIȚA P.P. CURCUBEUL COPIILOR, ARAD, ROMÂNIA