fascinating book about U.S. ecosystems, and a fun, fictional Junior Explorer series. These books come from Jeff’s heart because he is the father of two daughters. That’s right! In 2008, Jeff and Natasha became the parents of another baby girl, named Marina. When Jeff looks at his children, he is constantly reminded of how important it is for humans to leave behind a planet that is biodiverse and healthy.
Jeff hopes that his books for kids will help children realize they have the power to change the world. Jeff says, “Sometimes I think that young people don’t think they matter. But everyone leaves behind an ecological footprint. (An ecological footprint is a measure of how much of Earth’s resources we each consume.) I think it’s important that people recognize that— realize that every day, you are going to do something that impacts the world. Do you want that impact to be positive or negative?”
Jeff wants kids to begin taking small steps toward saving Earth’s resources. Remember: every step is a step in the right direction! You can begin doing this by just looking at your daily habits.
For example, think about the plastic water bottles from which we all drink. Drinking a bottle of water provides you with the liquid your body needs to survive. But at the same time, by drinking water out of a plastic bottle, you are using a container that will last for thousands of years. If you drink that water through a straw, you are using even more plastic that will remain on Earth far longer than you.
You can also try the Trash Challenge that Jeff often poses to kids when he gives speeches. Rather than throwing things away, save every single piece of trash you produce in a single day. That’s every water bottle, every scrap of leftover food, every wrapper, every piece of product packaging, every piece of paper . . . you get the idea! Jeff says, “No toilet paper, please! But save everything else.”
At the end of the day, you will probably be shocked at your impact with regard to waste: In any given twenty-four-hour period, the average American creates about five pounds of trash! As Jeff says, “If you think you don’t have an impact, just look at your garbage. Think about how much energy it took to create it, and where it will all end up.” Jeff says that simple examples like these can make kids realize firsthand how much of an effect they have on Earth’s health.
Jeff ’s kids’ books also explore the idea that all of Earth’s creatures play an important role in their own ecosystem. He worries that many people judge animals: they think some are better, more important, or more valuable to the world than others. “I don’t look at animals as one being nice and one being bad—the pretty feathers of a bird as opposed to the fangs of a rattlesnake,” Jeff says. In Jeff’s mind, all animals are created equal! Jeff adds, “It’s important to understand that no one creature is greater than another. All species are significant and have earned a place at the table of life.”
To see this in your everyday life, Jeff urges kids to look in their very own yards and communities. You might find a frog in a stream, a bald eagle in a tree, a mountain lion, a bear, or a box turtle. It’s easy for everyone to recognize the importance of saving tigers or monkeys. But in your community, it’s unlikely that it is a tiger that needs saving. Instead, it could be a local animal species or a particular habitat. There are examples of wildlife failures everywhere. But there can also be examples of success! And that part is up to us.
Jeff wants others to know that for many threatened species and habitats, we are nearly at the point of no return—but we aren’t there yet. He says, “While we live in what could end up being the dark days of conservation, we also live in a time of incredible hope.” We can still save what remains.
So what if you want to go even further than taking small steps? What if you want to help Earth
Jeff hopes that his books for kids will help children realize they have the power to change the world. Jeff says, “Sometimes I think that young people don’t think they matter. But everyone leaves behind an ecological footprint. (An ecological footprint is a measure of how much of Earth’s resources we each consume.) I think it’s important that people recognize that— realize that every day, you are going to do something that impacts the world. Do you want that impact to be positive or negative?”
Jeff wants kids to begin taking small steps toward saving Earth’s resources. Remember: every step is a step in the right direction! You can begin doing this by just looking at your daily habits.
For example, think about the plastic water bottles from which we all drink. Drinking a bottle of water provides you with the liquid your body needs to survive. But at the same time, by drinking water out of a plastic bottle, you are using a container that will last for thousands of years. If you drink that water through a straw, you are using even more plastic that will remain on Earth far longer than you.
You can also try the Trash Challenge that Jeff often poses to kids when he gives speeches. Rather than throwing things away, save every single piece of trash you produce in a single day. That’s every water bottle, every scrap of leftover food, every wrapper, every piece of product packaging, every piece of paper . . . you get the idea! Jeff says, “No toilet paper, please! But save everything else.”
At the end of the day, you will probably be shocked at your impact with regard to waste: In any given twenty-four-hour period, the average American creates about five pounds of trash! As Jeff says, “If you think you don’t have an impact, just look at your garbage. Think about how much energy it took to create it, and where it will all end up.” Jeff says that simple examples like these can make kids realize firsthand how much of an effect they have on Earth’s health.
Jeff ’s kids’ books also explore the idea that all of Earth’s creatures play an important role in their own ecosystem. He worries that many people judge animals: they think some are better, more important, or more valuable to the world than others. “I don’t look at animals as one being nice and one being bad—the pretty feathers of a bird as opposed to the fangs of a rattlesnake,” Jeff says. In Jeff’s mind, all animals are created equal! Jeff adds, “It’s important to understand that no one creature is greater than another. All species are significant and have earned a place at the table of life.”
To see this in your everyday life, Jeff urges kids to look in their very own yards and communities. You might find a frog in a stream, a bald eagle in a tree, a mountain lion, a bear, or a box turtle. It’s easy for everyone to recognize the importance of saving tigers or monkeys. But in your community, it’s unlikely that it is a tiger that needs saving. Instead, it could be a local animal species or a particular habitat. There are examples of wildlife failures everywhere. But there can also be examples of success! And that part is up to us.
Jeff wants others to know that for many threatened species and habitats, we are nearly at the point of no return—but we aren’t there yet. He says, “While we live in what could end up being the dark days of conservation, we also live in a time of incredible hope.” We can still save what remains.
So what if you want to go even further than taking small steps? What if you want to help Earth
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