Walking Mountains recently held an Earth Day essay contest. Students were asked to answer the following question in essay form:

Below are some of the highlights from our entries.  Don't forget to visit us on Earth Day for fun and festivities.  Visit the Energy Resource Center Open House from 4-6:30pm and get 50% a home energy assessment!

ENJOY and HAPPY EARTH DAY!  Our winners will be announced soon...

“Instead of cutting down trees, we could plant more of them to take place of the ones that have fallen down because of natural decay or disease. This will create more fresh and beautiful growth without the use of chemicals and will provide more homes for the animals that are part of our environment.”
Savina May, 4th grade, VMS

“Schools should have a class that teaches kids about the earth and how to take care of it.”
Iara Melgarejo, 4th grade, AES

“We should build one greenhouse at each middle and high school that would be managed by students, increasing the growing season from 4 months to year round. Students would spend 20 minutes each day to tend the gardens, and low income kids would have access to healthy fruits and vegetables instead of the processed foods they currently get for breakfast.”
Miranda Bradford, 7th grade, ECCA

“Trash companies could change the world by charging more to pick up trash than they do to pick up recycling. Then the amount of trash would go way down and people would start recycling more.”
Miles Jarnot, 5th grade, EES

“I might hold a tree planting festival at the beginning of summer to make our community healthier through cleaner air and more beautiful.”
Elliott Jarnot, 4th grade, EES

“Donate your food scraps to a farm for the pigs.”
Fiona Lloyd, 3rd grade, EES

“Three ways I can help make my community a better place to live: Plant trees and plants, pick up trash and bike to school and other places. This will help beautify our town and clean the air so people can breathe better.”
Will Bettenhausen, 4th grade, EES

“Use less electricity by using solar panels and wind mills and by turning off lights when they are not in use.”
Briana McGrath, 4th grade, EES

“Make new stuff out of old stuff by recycling.”
Melissa Ruiz, 3rd grade, EES

“People can use bicycles instead of cars when they go to a nearby place. Be smart, don’t be lazy and do it.!”
Karol Loera, AES

Cars cause a lot of pollution, so we could buy bicycles for Vail Village.
Cleo Braun, VSSA, 6th grade

Take the bus! We can save lots of fossil fuels by taking the bus and car pooling. If your not going very far, than you can walk,run,roller blade and bike. Not only do you help the environment but you also get exercise. That's a win win!
Nancy Brown, VSSA, 5th grade

I would love to organize a town clean up day all over the Vail Valley! I would organize the clean up day by putting an ad in the Vail Daily. It would
be free because you are helping our earth become a better place, there is no charge for that!
Emma Kate Burns, VSSA, 5th grade

If people only used Mizu Water bottles which is made from recycled materials and we take out the plastic bottle factor than that will reduce waste from our valley in a timely fashion.
Jack Coyne, VSSA, 6th grade

As a result of picking up at least three pieces of trash, riding your bike three days a week to your job, or even taking time out of your day to recycle will greatly impact the way of the world now. If we do little things to improve our world, it will be a totally new experience.
Cody Lane, Eagle Valley Middle School, 7th grade

Get off your electronic devices and the TV to save energy and show you care!
Ava Jemison, VSSA, 6th grade

I believe that we should be using electric cars so we are not polluting.
Wyatt Hall, VSSA, 6th grade

If we cleaned up trash along the road it would help the animals be healthier and happier, because they will have a cleaner environment and I bet we would be happier too.
Hailey Harsch, VSSA, 5th grade

Things that we do every day can help the Earth in different ways to save energy like turning off the lights and taking shorter showers.
Lucy McCann, Brush Creek Elementary, 4th grade

If more people switched to diesel the Valley would be a better place, we would all get more miles to the gallon and a car that is better for the earth.
Kai McGuffin, VSSA, 6th grade

My goal is to use less energy whenever possible. Whatever way you can make a difference, do it. Whether it is taking a shorter shower, planting a tree or picking up litter from the river, take action in making the Vail Valley a cleaner place.
Jenna McMurtry, VSSA, 6th grade

I find that Vail Valley could have a better environment. For people to make that happen, they could plant more tree's and pick up more trash.
Schuyler Woodland, VSSA, 5th grade