Maie Ellis fifth graders write about the environment

The importance of recycling in Fallbrook

Alejandro and Gabrielle

Why do we recycle, and what happens if we stop recycling? There are many effects of recycling and not recycling. See how we can make a much cleaner and brighter future.

First of all, we need to know why we recycle. Recycling is good for the environment; it decreases the pollution in Fallbrook. According to Glaze Scrap, Americans throw away an estimated 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. If we can recycle all of that plastic, not only are we helping the environment, we are also saving millions of dollars to business every year.

Recycling is also very good for animals. It helps their habitats from being polluted by trash and other junk. Recycling has helped so much to keep Fallbrook and our planet clean.

Now that we know why we recycle, what are the effects of not recycling? If we stop recycling, the pollution in Fallbrook would increase, and our landfills will fill up faster. Plastic is known for harming our wildlife, and Fallbrook is full of animals.

According to Valerie Lowe from cleanSD.org, if plastic gets in the ocean, sea creatures can mistake it for food, and the plastic can make them starve to death. Naparecycling.com stated that plastic can release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere and could even pollute our underground water, lakes, and rivers. This would limit our water supply. Not only that but greenhouse gases cause global warming a huge impact on our planet.

Last but not least. How can we prevent all of this from happening? We can start by recycling and cleaning our streets. If you see trash, pick it up and throw it away. This might seem small, but if you can inspire others, that's no small thing. Also, be careful what you recycle because some objects look recyclable but aren't. According to The City of San Diego Youtube Channel, these items include used pizza boxes, plastic bags, and hazardous material like batteries. Only you can make a difference by recycling to help Fallbrook and San Diego County be clean.

So much can happen if we don't recycle. I hope you learned quite a lot about recycling and what could happen if you don't. Only you can make a difference and make a brighter and cleaner future.

Conserving water

Gizelle A. and Joseph M.

What would happen if no one conserved water? Well, a lot of bad things would happen! I think we should stop pollution and help save rivers in Fallbrook, and you should try to help us, too.

First, conserving water is easy. According to watercalculator.org, one way you can conserve water is by taking baths half-filled or taking shorter showers. You shouldn't leave your sink running because it will waste a lot of water.

Doing these can also save you a lot of money on water bills. Another way to save water is by using less water outdoors. An easy solution would be to use plants that don't require a lot of water such as cacti.

Secondly, you can help animals by putting straws, bottles, and other types of material where they need to go, like recycle or trash cans. When you don't recycle, that's bad and it ends up in Fallbrook, including waterways through the Santa Margarita River Trail.

Furthermore, I think we should take care of rivers and streams in Fallbrook, like in the Los Jilgueros Preserve. When we see trash in the rivers, we should help by putting it where it goes. We all enjoy seeing living creatures like ducks, fish, and even turtles. We should do our best to clean up.

You should conserve water and help keep our waterways clean. As you can see it's very important to conserve water. By helping just a little, we can keep our streams and rivers clean. This is how we can keep Fallbrook beautiful!

Fallbrook wildlife conservation

Teague L. and Juliette A.

Have you ever wondered what wildlife conservation is about? There are several ways Fallbrook residents can learn to help and protect wildlife in our community. As a community, we should be the ones to help and protect the wildlife.

First off, there are some wildlife that actually can really help your backyard and get rid of those nasty bugs or insects. Some things such as birds, bats, and lizards consume some insects or bugs that destroy plants and spread diseases. Unfortunately, some of these helpful animals are dying. If we don't recycle our plastic bottles or make sure that we dispose of oil and toxic things properly, it could lead to an entire species of these animals dying.

Secondly, so many wildlife are getting killed every year by getting hit by cars and trucks. If we build more wildlife bridges it will lower the chances of roadkill and car collisions. A lot of animals need to move long distances for food or shelter. The further they need to go from their home, the more dangerous it is for them, so this is why we need more wildlife bridges and support of conservation.

Finally, if you were wondering where to see wildlife, maybe you could go to Los Jilgueros Preserve or Wild Wonders to see some of these creatures. There is some wildlife at Los Jilgueros such as rabbits, birds, fish, ducks, and different types of plants. You can learn more about wildlife at Wild Wonders in Bonsall. Wild Wonders is an educational organization that helps animals get better medical attention and so that they could possibly get released back into the wild.

In conclusion, there are many ways Fallbrook residents can learn to help and protect wildlife in our community.

After reading this article I hope you have learned how important wildlife

conservation is.

Nature's gifts

Kaiden

Chirp, chirp, croak, croak! Oh sorry, I'm just out here enjoying that good Fallbrook nature, but while I have you here, let me tell you about nature. Here I will be telling you about the positive effects of enjoying nature.

First, there are many positive effects of being outside in nature. One reason to go outside more is because it makes you happy. When you get more sunlight, it releases a hormone called serotonin, which boosts mood and helps you stay calm and focused. Another reason is that it makes you healthier. When you are in the sunshine, you get vitamin D, which is essential to human health. The last reason is that it helps you take a break of technology, which is just smart since too much technology time can affect your brain, and it's just nice to connect with nature.

If you would like to know some good places to camp or hike in Fallbrook, I could recommend a few. First, there's De Luz. There are great hiking paths and streams. On one hiking trail, there is a big river flowing through it, and if you go all the way to the end there's a little oasis, and it's beautiful because the water is chill and peaceful. It's just amazing. Another place is the Los Jilgueros Preserve. It's very fun and a great place to hike with my family and I love to hike there every now and then.

Lastly, nature helps you get together with friends and family. You can do so much in the woods, like going camping or river rafting. Has your dog gone over to the leash and whimper? Well if so, you know that they need to be outside. Kids love to be outside, too, and they should have the right to do so.

In summary, these are some positive effects of nature. Hellen Keller said, "To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug."

I hope after this, you go outside more often.

The consequences of plastic garbage

Chase M.

People are always throwing trash out windows and cars, and it is terrible for the environment. Plastic was created long ago, but it has now been overused, and the Earth and especially poor countries have been suffering for years. We need to change how we look at plastics.

First, Fallbrook is a nice town, but with us buying so much plastic and only using it once, we are destroying the town and the world! Stop putting trash in landfills. According to the documentary "The Story of Plastic" on Discovery Channel, if you get a net, go to the ocean, and sway it through some water, you would be surprised at how much trash there is. If we don't stop, U.S. scientists predict by 2025 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean!

Second, there is a little depression in you, right? According to EcologyCenter.org, because of plastic you can have "endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancers, birth defects, immune system suppression and developmental problems in children."

Lastly, because trash is just horrible for the environment, cleaning up the neighborhood could have a huge impact on society. According to Fallbrook Land Conservancy member Susan Liebes, if you walk around Fallbrook for just an hour and pick up trash, you could make a big difference!

An example of how you could help reduce trash is to reuse plastics or even better, start buying reusable items. If you buy Tupperware instead of using plastic baggies, you could save a lot of creatures. Instead of bottled water, just fill up an aluminum water bottle. Just those little changes you could save the world! And of course, Fallbrook.

In summary, the Earth has been suffering for years because of plastics. With these simple things you can do, you can save the environment!

Nature's giant flowers

Arturo T.

Have you ever heard of youtubers planting trees, or CEOs of companies donating tons of money for the cause of planting trees? My topic will be about planting trees and about what some people did to plant more trees.

Mr. Beast is a YouTuber who has donated millions to charity. He asked his fans what he should do to celebrate 20 million subscribers, and they replied by telling him that he should plant 20 million trees. Mr. Beast gathered some friends, partnered with #teamtrees, and started planting. Mr. Beast stated that for each dollar donated to #teamtrees, he will have one tree planted. I believe that with some cooperation we could plant some trees like this in Fallbrook.

You would think that gamers and CEOs don't care about trees, right? Well, you're wrong. Jacksepticeye is a famous YouTuber that made an eight-hour live stream of him planting trees in Minecraft because not a lot of people do it. In addition, the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, supported the cause of Mr. Beast by donating a million dollars to #teamtrees. He even changed his name on social media to Treelon. As you can see these big idols have a big love for trees. I believe that Fallbrook should do a similar movement and figure out a way to motivate people to plant more trees.

There are many benefits of trees and here is a list of them. One benefit of trees is that they can create oxygen for us to breathe. Another benefit is that they reduce pollution and flooding in waterways. One last benefit is that they are a habitat to many animals and the more trees, the more habitats for animals and nature.

These are details on people that care about trees and their many benefits. As you can see, trees really are important to famous people, and trees should be important to Fallbrook.