And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:12

Blessed of the Lord be his land, ... with the choice things of the earth and its fullness... Deut 33:16

A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.  Eccl 1:4

Four things are small on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: the antts are not strong folk, but they prepare their food in the summer; the badgers are not mighty folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; the locusts have no king, yet all of them go out in ranks; the lizard you may grasp with the hands, yet it is in kings palaces.  Prov 30: 24-28

Ating Kapaligiran
ni Yvonne C. Abayon ng Novaliches

Malawak na kapaligiran
Bughaw na kalangitan
Anu't kagandahan
Ang paligid makakamtan

Asul na karagatan
Ang sa mga isda'y tahanan
Berdeng kabundukan
Puno ng punong-kahoy at halaman.

Salamat! salamat sa biyaya
Kaya't kasagutan ay pag-iingat nga
Mga taong dito'y naninirahan
Ingatan ang kagandahan
ng kapaligiran.

Basura!  Itapon ng tama
Plastic bag, ipunin at 'wag isiga
Usok nito'y pamatay na kusa
Kaya't papel na supot ang
pamalit talaga

Magtanim! magtanim ng puno
Kapag lumaki, hangin ay
magiging sa iyo
Lilim ibibigay
Ay tunay na walang kapantay.

Whales have been washed ashore with up to 50 plastic bags inside their guts, plastiic bags should never be left on the beach.

Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting.  We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value.   -Buckminster Fuller

Punch 2 holes in one end of a toilet paper roll, thread a string through it for hanging.  Spread with peanut butter and roll in birdseed.  Watch the birds as they feed!

A Power of the Pen Suggestion
Maricar J. Achas from Bukidnon has a great idea: Why not bring the environmental issue to the officials of our town/city/municipality?   Maricar says we could write about placing garbage cans around the community to prevent scattered waste.  Maricar is from Poblacion where there are a lot of trash cans and it works.  She lives in the 2nd cleanest town in Bukidnon!

Nature Project for Kids

The Aquarium-in-a-Jar: a good way to learn the relationship of animals to their environment!  As long as you don't overfeed the fish, you won't have to clean the tank.

Ingredients: 
1 gallon glass/plastic jar (plastic is safer for kids)
1 pitcher
1 1/2 lbs. of colored aquarium gravel
1 adult guppy (from the pet shop)
fish food
2 bunches of aquatic plants

What to Do:
1. Wash the jar well with hot, soapy water & rinse well. 
2. Fill 3/4 of jar with tap water.  Let stand for 2 days uncovered (the water needs to be 'aged').
3. Fill the pitcher with water & leave uncovered for 2 days also!
4. After the water is ready, place gravel in a strainer and rinse with cold water to remove gravel dust.  DO NOT use soap or detergent.
5. Using a large spoon, transfer gravel tto bottom of jar - you should have a 2-inch layer.
6. Put aquarium in a spot where it is bright but not in direct sunlight (not too cold or too warm).
7. Put aquatic plants in.  Push stems into gravel.
8. Add your guppy and be sure it has a name!

Maintenance:
Never tap on the jar - it will frighten the guppy.  Feed him a pinch of food daily - do not overfeed - it will upset ecological balance and cloud up the water.

Add 'aged' water from pitcher as needed.   Never fill jar until the top - the level should be around an inch from the jar's neck!

taken from Good Housekeeping June 1991 Issue