November: Community Connections

56 Environmental Community Service Ideas

1. Plant a garden or tree where the whole neighborhood can enjoy it.

2. Set up a recycling system for your home and participate in your neighborhood curbside recycling pick-up.

3. Organize a car pooling campaign in your neighborhood to cut down on air pollution.

4. Set up a seed or a plant exchange in your neighborhood.

5. Grow fresh flowers and deliver them to someone to brighten their day.

6. Pick up a trail during National Trail Day in June.

7. Make bird feeders for public places.

8. Collect Old phone books in your neighborhood for recycling.

9. Adopt an acre of a park or a mile of roadside to keep clean.

10. Elect a family "energy watchdog" to shut off lights, radios, and TV's when not in use.

11. Help everyone in your family conserve water.

12. Clean up trash along a river or in a park.

13. Create a habitat for wildlife.

14. Create a campaign to encourage biking and walking.

15. Test the health of the water in your local lakes, rivers or streams.

16. Got places to be? Burn energy on your bike instead of taking the family car.

17. Participate in the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program.

18. Start a butterfly garden at home, at a community center, senior home or school.

19. Sponsor an environmental slogan contest in school.

20. Build a bluebird trail.

21. Collect aluminum cans and donate the money to a favorite charity.

22. Get together with friends and make conservation posters for the community center.

23. Encourage your parents to buy products made from recycled materials.

24. Conduct an energy audit at your school.

25. Monitor the indoor air quality.

26. Organize an asbestos check.

27. Test the drinking water for lead.

28. Adopt an acre of rainforest.

29. Plant a commemorative tree to honor someone.

30. Create a children's nature garden, labeling plants and trees and scheduling guided tours.

31. Replace trees that have died.

32. Take household toxic waste to a proper disposal facility.

33. Check indoor radon levels.

34. Adopt highways and clean up clutter.

35. Volunteer to separate recyclables.

36. Organize a hazardous waste collection.

37. Start a recycling center at school.

38. Host a recycling fair.

39. Hold an invention contest with entries made out of recycled goods.

40. Form a volunteer lawn mowing service with your friends.

41. If you see a tree that's in trouble, try to save it. Pamper it, water it, or don't water it as the case may be. Find our what's wrong with it and how to make it better.

42. Pick up litter.

43. Use a lunch box instead of throwaway bags.

44. Practice the 3 R's in your house: Reduce, recycle, reuse.

45. Adopt a park with your friends and keep it clean.

46. Bring a backpack when you shop or reuse those little plastic sacks.

47. Clean up a beach or riverbed.

48. Start a compost pile and encourage your family to use it!

49. Plant trees.

50. Plant a commemorative tree to honor someone.

51. Ask your school to use recycled paper.

52. Repair homes or abandoned buildings.

53. Start an Environmental Club.

54. Hold a recycling contest.

55. Check homes and public buildings for lead based paint.

56. Clear a new trail at a nature center or park.