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en vi ron ment, noun - all of the surrounding conditions and influences that affect the development of a living thing.

What does your environment include? For most of us in the world, it includes trees and flowers, and on some days, blue skies and white clouds. The same elements, wind, rain, cold and heat, visit us all.

However, if you live in a highly populated city like Mumbai [formerly Bombay], India, it might mean that you rarely see blue sky because of the constant smog. Or if you live in areas of Central America, it could be that your village was washed down a slope in the last rainy season because there were no trees left to hold the soil. Perhaps from your home in Central Europe you have come to notice that there are fewer songbirds than a few years ago and the river water is no longer safe to drink. In areas of Australia you would be careful to avoid spending time outdoors because there is a hole in the ozone, a layer of the atmosphere that protects us from the harmful rays of the sun. Here in the United States, there is so much garbage that we are running out of land for dumps.

If you are becoming concerned about what this means to all of us and to our quality of life, you are not alone. Former Senator Gaylord Nelson, with the help of many concerned citizens founded Earth Day to bring attention to the many dangers threatening our beautiful world. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. Since then it has spread worldwide, carrying the message that we must protect our precious and fragile planet.

Where do you start when the job is so big and there is so much to do? You start right where you are, with what you can do yourself. Small steps lead to big ones. Here are three steps you can take.

Step #1 Become Informed

Did you know that trees are one of our best allies in the effort to protect the planet? They play an extremely important role. Their roots anchor hillsides and keep them from sliding in heavy rains. Trees create necessary shade for other plants and animals and safe homes for insects and birds. They collect moisture and protect it from evaporation. And very important in this day and age: trees process carbon dioxide and turn it back into breathable oxygen for us.

Step #2 Become Involved

Paper is made from wood pulp. Lots of trees are cut down to make paper. The more paper we can save and reuse, the fewer trees will be cut down.

Here are some ideas that can make a difference. The next time you want to read a book, go to the library. The books in the library can be borrowed, read and returned and their reuse saves thousands of trees. Bring your lunch to school in a plastic container that can be washed and reused instead of wrapping your sandwich in plastic and paper that gets thrown away everyday (you’ll also reduce the waste going into landfills). If you have a choice, either at the library or at home, compose your schoolwork on the computer and only print out the final version. That way you won’t be throwing away all the rough draft sheets of paper. You can decorate paper bags instead of buying wrapping paper. When you go to the grocery store, take a cloth bag to carry the groceries. When you have to clean up a water or milk spill, use a washable rag instead of a paper towel.

Step #3 Spread the Word

If your school doesn’t already have paper recycling drives, you can talk to parents and teachers about starting one. You and your friends can collect white paper from your schoolwork and computer printouts. All the collected paper can be placed in a covered bin in the schoolyard. Parents and kids can bring old newspapers too. When the bin is full, the paper can be sold to a high-grade paper buyer who recycles it! The school makes money and for every ton of paper that is recycled, you and your schoolmates can save 17 trees from being cut down to make new paper! You can also talk to parents and teachers to encourage them to buy recycled paper and recycled paper products like notebooks. Even some schoolbooks are printed on recycled paper.

You can suggest that your school use the money from recycling to plant trees! For every dollar contributed, the Plant-It 2000 Foundation, will plant a tree. The school can pick where the trees will be planted from a list of international locations. It would be a fun project to learn about different countries and what kind of trees they need. Maybe you could form a team to decide in which area of the world you would like to see the trees planted.

We have covered a lot of ground just by focusing on one element of our environment, the tree. You could pick another element from your surroundings and find a host of additional ways to help protect your environment. You can make a difference by becoming informed and involved and by spreading the word. This Sunday, April 22nd, is the 31st celebration of Earth Day. What better day to take your first step!