İçerenköy Hasanleyli İlkokulu, Türkiye

B1 class, 3rd Primary School of Chalandri, Hellas     

 Antakya Ortaokulu, Türkiye

 Işıktepe Rüveyde Dörtçelik , Turkiye 

Once upon a time, in a small village surrounded by lush green hills and sparkling rivers, lived a curious and kind-hearted boy named Leo. Leo loved spending his days exploring the meadows, watching butterflies dance in the sunlight, and listening to the soft songs of birds. His favorite spot was an ancient oak tree at the edge of the forest, where he would sit and imagine stories about the animals that lived there.

One sunny morning, while collecting colorful leaves to make a nature collage, Leo noticed something unusual. The river that usually flowed crystal clear had turned murky and slow. As he moved closer, he saw piles of trash scattered along the riverbank—plastic bottles, wrappers, and broken toys. Leo’s heart sank. “Why would anyone do this?” he whispered, feeling a heavy sadness.

Little Footprints For A Better Future

Determined to find out more, Leo decided to visit Mrs. Willow, the village elder who knew all the secrets of the forest. As he walked through the winding paths, he saw more signs of pollution—cans and old bags stuck in bushes, and even a squirrel struggling to free itself from a piece of tangled string. When he finally reached Mrs. Willow’s cozy cottage, he knocked on the wooden door.

Mrs. Willow greeted him with a warm smile and invited him inside. “What brings you here, Leo?” she asked, noticing his troubled expression. Leo explained what he had seen by the river and how worried he was about the animals and plants. Mrs. Willow nodded thoughtfully. “It’s not just the river, dear. Our forest has been suffering too. People have forgotten how to care for nature, and now it’s showing.”

Leo felt a surge of determination. “We have to do something, Mrs. Willow! We can’t just watch nature get hurt.” Mrs. Willow placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You’re right, Leo. Small actions can make a big difference. We just need to remind everyone how important it is to take care of our home.”

And so, with a spark of hope, Leo knew what he had to do. He would gather his friends and start a mission to protect the village’s beautiful nature, one small step at a time.

The next morning Leo got up full of excitement and great ideas! "In union there is strength", he thought to himself.

First thing he did was to find his friends. Stefanos, Nikolas and Oliver were on their way to school . He joined with them and started sharing his thoughts. 

Nikolas looked at him a bit surprised and said :

"You are so right! I was thinking about the same thing as well and i am glad i am not the only one! We definitely have to do something. I was watching a documentary the other day and  i think the best way to start is with a campaign about waste management".

 "Exactly ", said Leo. We need to encourage  everyone in our community to rethink how we live, how we consume and how we dispose. Let's all learn how to reduce waste, reuse , repurpose and recycle efficiently".

"Wonderful idea, you guys", said Oliver.  "Let's spread the word"

Oliver, How about starting the waste campaign at school? he asked his friends.Stefanos " good idea" said. Getting good habits starts from a young age.That's why school is the most suitable place.Nikolas and Oliver also supported this idea.

  " First we can put recycling bins in the classrooms ," said Oliver. 

"Our teacher is an environmentally conscious person who will support us,"Leo continued.

Our second job is to explain the importance of recycling to our friends."We prepare a presentations and even prepare posters at school with our friends ," said Stefanos.

Leo and his friends went to school the next day.They shared their thoughts with their teachers. Their teachers said,"You thought very well,children,."I will get permission from the principal for you,he said. The principal gave permission.

Leo and his friends told all the classes to bring home cardboard and plastic boxes that they weren't using to school.

Whit  this waste campaing initiated by Leo, Stefanos, Nikolas and Oliver, a recycling corner was created in every classroom in the school. All students of the school started to collect the waste materials they used at school and at home in recycling bins. Waste such as paper, plastic, glass and metal were now separated in these bins to be recycled. When the bins were full, Leo and his friends took the bins to the recycling center. Now most of them would be processed, reused and recycled.