Virginia Third Graders Bake Cookies to Save Acres of Rainforest

Third graders at a Richmond, Virginia elementary school got inspired and, as you can see in this Nature Conservancy video, enthusiastically went to work to “adopt” five acres of rainforest.

After learning about threats to forests with their teacher Jennifer Eason, and how many animals lose their homes when trees are clear-cut or burned, “… it made me sad,” says one girl.

Students at the Mary Munford Elementary School made posters and held a bake sale that raised $250. They beat their goal of raising enough money to adopt one acre, and instead adopted five!

As a thank you, several members of The Nature Conservancy’s climate change team visited the school and gave a presentation on why saving the rainforest is so valuable. Trees provide one of the most effective “filters” for slowing down pollution and protecting the air we all breathe. They also protect us from flooding, storm surges, and hurricanes.

With the holidays just around the corner, you can help adopt acres of rainforest too, as you check off your gift list.

Check out The Nature Conservancy’s Green Gift ideas as Cyber Monday (Nov. 28) approaches, and learn how you can Adopt an Acre® as a gift ($50 per acre) at important forest sites around the world, from Costa Rica to Brazil.

Lisa Hayden is a blogger and writer for The Nature Conservancy

“Saving the rainforest one acre at a time” video by: Ethan D. Kearns and Nicole Virgilio, The Nature Conservancy