Lessons With The Lorax: Conservation, love, and respect for the land

Posted by momsgoinggreen on Thursday, March 1, 2012 · Leave a Comment

I was thrilled to be asked by Universal Studios to participate in a Blog Tour in support of Universal Pictures ‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’.

When our kids heard that The Lorax was going to be released as a movie they were so excited. Even more so when the learned it’s in 3-D! They had grown up reading and sharing Dr. Seuss books. The Lorax was a later addition, a gift to them in honor of Earth Day. The Lorax is one of the primary environmental children’s books we read often.

In fact Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss moved to San Diego in the 1950′s and settled with his wife in La Jolla. March 2nd, the same day as the release of the film “Dr. Seuss‘ The Lorax, UC San Diego will host a big birthday party for Dr. Seuss’ 108th birthday.

With the release of The Lorax and Earth Day next month there’s no better time to talk with children about one of the many messages of films themes: Conservation, love, and respect for the land. The Lorax has a lot to teach us. One take away from the film was that there are so many options for change and each will have a big environmental impact on the planet.

Here are some simple ways that parents can help children understand the importance of the environment:

Plant a deciduous (leafy) tree that loses its leaves in fall on the south side of your home. Its shade will cool your house in the summer. After the tree’s leaves fall, sunlight will help warm your house in winter. Trees help clean the air we breathe. They produce oxygen and reduce carbon dioxide.

Participate in cleanup days at a beach or park. Use those outdoor trash cans! Never litter. Keep our waterways clean. When you visit a park or beach, be sure you deposit your trash in containers and volunteer at some state and national cleanups.

Recycle and Reuse. Set out cans and bottles for neighborhood pickup, or exchange them for cash at a recycling center. Most community trash services will pick up your recycled bottles and cans.

Meatless Monday (meat free one day a week) is a movement encouraging people to improve their health and improve the health of the planet by lowering their meat consumption. You’ll be surprised to learn an estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. For tips and recipes visit www.meatlessmonday.com.