Out of the mouths - and minds - of babes

My friend, Doug, and his grandson Jaden were out following a turtle around their yard this weekend.

"You know, grandpa, I'm not just an ordinary boy," Jaden said.

"You're not?" Doug, answered, as they knelt down to peer inside the shell of the hiding turtle.

"No, grandpa, I'm a nature boy."

It made my heart skip a little beat when I heard that story. Doug and Jaden are always out wandering around the yard or building bird houses or exploring the crawling critters in their gardens and it's interactions like that which give me hope for a future generation that cares about the planet.

Then, today, I read this article about 9-year old Mason Perez in Reno, Nevada who came up with an idea to help home owners and businesses save money and water. The idea?: turning down the pressure on the water intake valve on kitchen and bathroom sinks, especially in public bathrooms. I mean, how many times have you been in a public bathroom and tried to wash your hands and been just flooded with water? Makes as little sense as the motion sensor faucets that keep running long after you've finished washing your hands.

Yeah, the kids are all right. And if we keep encouraging them, I think the planet might just be all right, too.