Celebrate Earth Day

On April 22, celebrate by starting a new Earth-friendly habit. Spread the word! The more people who treat the Earth well, the safer all its inhabitants will be.

Plant a tree. Trees help clean the air we breathe. They produce oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide. Participate in cleanup days at a beach or park. Use those outdoor trash cans! Never litter. Keep our waterways clean. When you visit a park or beach, be sure you deposit your trash in containers and volunteer at some state and national cleanups.

Don't kill that spider! There are an estimated 40,000 species of spiders, and they all eat insects. They're an important part of the food web and provide natural pest control.

Ban all drips. If you have a dripping faucet in the house, ask your parents to replace the washer inside it. If you stop a faucet from leaking one drop each second, you can save 2,700 gallons of water a year.

Safeguard storm drains. Don't litter. Trash tossed carelessly outside often washes into storm drains, which empty into rivers and streams that eventually flow to the oceans. Pollution is a growing problem for all the Earth's oceans and its wildlife. www.kids.nationalgeographic.com