● Grow your own herbs or vegetables. Find a sunny place in your yard or a large container on your balcony and plant some herbs or vegetables (tomatoes and peppers work well potted). You’ll be achieving all of the five Ns.

● Vegetarian meals can be healthier for the planet. The David Suzuki Foundation (http://www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge/) challenges individuals to eat meat-free meals once a week to help conserve the earth’s resources. As a class, research 25 different easy-to-make but healthy vegetarian meals and "publish" your cookbook online or include a meatless recipe a month in the school newsletter.

● Design a school garden with an elementary class and grow your own fall harvest! Include plants such as sunflowers, radishes, peas, beans, carrots and pumpkins. Or tie your garden into a history unit by planting a traditional Native American Three Sisters garden of beans, squashes and corn. The corn stalk acts as a pole for the beans, the squash acts as a ground cover to help the soil retain moisture, and the beans provide nitrogen for the soil.

● Buy near, now and nutritious! Start a school-wide campaign to buy locally grown and produced, in-season food. Research local alternatives to exotic fruits and vegetables, imported foods and meat and dairy products. Develop an e-newsletter for parents and local community groups outlining these alternatives. Download the Turkey Chart