Students plant flowers outside their school.
/ FOX 21/Rachel Welte
By Rachel Welte
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 5:56 p.m.
Read more: Local, State, Education, Community, Environment, Outdoors, Earth Day, Uccs Preschool, Plant Flowers, Teachers, Morning Show, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Go Green, Family
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- At the UCCS Family Development Center students learn the importance of Earth Day.
With teachers by their sides, they planted flowers and vegetables Wednesday in a special garden outside their school.
"Last year our older preschool class started an organic garden here, and it was such a big success with the children and the campus that is has now spread through the entire school," center director Ida Bauer said.
Bauer said it is important for kids to learn about Earth Day. She said by planting flowers the students grasp what it means to take care of the environment.
"Obviously we have one earth that we live on, and sustainability is an issue, and if we start them young learning about our earth and taking care of it, I think that is a lesson they will take with them through their lives," Bauer said.
Each of the students was encouraged to bring a flower or plant to place in the garden. By the end of the day what once was a pile of dirt was filled with color and life.
"If we teach these young children to take care of the environment it will help us when we get older because they will be the ones running the environment," teacher Carol Quillin said.
The Earth Day activity was part of the center's Week of the Young Child. A national celebration designed to raise awareness about early education.
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