Give a Hoot.....dont pollute.

Ah the environment. Mother Natures gift to us all. All she asks is that we take good care of the ozone layer, keep the oceans clean and protect our national forests.
My understanding of Earth and "being green" basically consisted of two policies up until now:

1. Give a hoot and don't pollute.

2. Recycle, reduce and reuse.

My daughter however is probably sorting through the recyclables in the kitchen at her pre-school right now; if she hasn't already chained her tiny self to an old oak tree that the city wants to cut down in efforts to expand the suburbs.

It is true that each of us all have own hearts desires, our own visions and personality traits. All I have to do is look at my daughter to realize this. She has been coming into her own lately and I have had to step back a few steps to give her room to grow.
I want to document this strictly for her benefit. Someday she will come to me wanting advice about my grand kids and I would like to refer to her this post.

Jaden has in intense love of nature. Animals. the life cycle of it all. She understand that the Lion has to eat the antelope, the frogs must eat the bugs and the sun must shine and the rain must come. She is very passionate about animals and the earth and none of it comes by influence from me. We don't recycles we don't reuse and I am not concerned with reducing my carbon footprint.
Yet she is.
The other day I picked Jaden up from school and her teacher let me know she had a great day with the exception of one meltdown. The following is an exact repeat of the conversation between Mrs. Tammy and I .

Mrs Tammy " ummm so today Jaden had to go and have a seat at the table when all the kids came in from recess."
Me" oh really?"
Mrs. Tammy " Yes. There was a wasp outside on the playgrounds earlier and she and some other kids were gathered around it looking at it."
Me " That sounds like Jaden, she loves bugs"
Mrs Tammy" yes I know now. I stepped on the wasp because I didn't want anybody to get stung by the wasp. Jaden screamed at me and went running into the class room crying and yelling so I and to have her sit at the table until she could calm down so that I could talk to her."
Me " Oh my, why was she screaming I wonder? What was she yelling?"
Mrs. Tammy " She said "You just killed one of God's creatures!" and then ran into the class room."
Me " Well Mrs Tammy....you did kill one of God's creatures. Jaden loves bugs and she does believe they are all God's creatures and I can see why she would be upset. It doesn't make it okay though and I will talk with her about it."
Mrs Tammy" I am so sorry, I tired to explain to her how sometimes we have to protect ourselves..."

This went on and on as this is probably the first time a child has been distraught over the death of a wasp.

Its not just the wasp though....

the beta fish, the lady bug from July, the bumble bee from aunties patio back in early September, the moth that got into our bathroom last week to the stray cats that Jaden has named. Jaden has love for them all as God's creatures. She sees people pollute and it's curtains for them.
" Dont be a litter bug you mean person!" is what you will hear if you ever throw something on the ground. Complete strangers, it doesn't matter who you are. Then as the litter bug walks away you can hear Jaden say " If one person litterbugs then all the earth will be covered in trash and the earth is our animals habitats huh mom?" Then I have to play the role of concerned environmentalist. " yes Jaden your right."

See, she knows all about habitats and weather patterns....its crazy! She knows that mommy throws her empty bottle of water into the trash can outside, that bottle will end up stuck in a sea turtles stomach somewhere in China! This is what she told me this morning as I tossed the water bottle into the trash.

Shes a sweetheart. She loves our planet. She likes to wear dresses every day of the week and she thinks that being a "Singing, ballerina fireman" is an actual profession.