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Stop waiting for someone else to do it

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We can learn from area students who embraced spirit of Earth Day

Youthful exuberance was palpable Friday as Hills-Beaver Creek Secondary students exited the school bus at the Hills Rez Park.
They were laughing, running after each other and just plain excited to be outdoors.
The change of scenery, however, didn’t mean they weren’t learning.
Last Thursday was Earth Day, a day to protect the environment and focus on conservation.
Our prairie landscape needs to be protected, appreciated and recognized for the mental renewal offered in the fresh outdoor air.
Unfortunately, not all kids in the U.S. are able to have that experience, because green areas in some urban areas are just not there — the land is needed for housing, streets, commercial buildings, everything that makes up a big city.
Here in Rock County, however, we are happy to see our students embracing what living in a rural area can offer.
Last week the Star Herald published a story about the new seed library offered through the Rock County Library.
Even though we are surrounded by acres of corn and soybeans, Rock County is, by definition, a “food desert.”
Being a food desert means the majority of our residents are not within walking distance of a grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables, the building blocks to a healthier lifestyle. Instead, processed, inexpensive foods can easily be purchased, but these foods are not good for our health.
The seed library allows patrons to start their own gardens, to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
Along with the free seeds, the library has reference materials available to show how gardening is done.
If reading is not to your liking, the library can connect patrons to people who will eagerly help start gardens in a backyard or even in containers that don’t take up much room.
One of the H-BC students cleaning at the Rez stated, “There are a lot of food wrappers out here.”
One simple way to help the environment is “picking up after oneself.”
Last fall the guest speaker at Luverne High School’s National Honor Society induction said his mentor would pick up garbage from the ground.
He stated he wasn’t going to wait for someone else to clean up the community. He was going to just do it.
We also need to just do it.
When you see an errant food wrapper, plastic bottle and other garbage on the ground, don’t just walk by — pick it up and dispose of the litter properly.
Let’s keep our communities clean and enjoyable for decades to come.
 

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