An even easier way to enjoy parks is to visit a local park. Try
doing a Google Maps search of your address, then zoom out on the map screen to find green areas. You can volunteer to clean up a local park, whether through an organization or by picking up trash as you see it. You could organize a group to clean up or otherwise
improve a local park, or donate play equipment or gardening supplies and expertise. Can’t find a park near you? Contact your city government to establish one! Enjoy the sunshine!
The emotional appeal of nature is tremendous,
sometimes almost more than one can bear.
~Jan Smuts
july 22–august 22
leo
The sun beating down on your shoulders, car seats and steering wheels too hot to touch, heat radiating up from the sidewalk in visible waves … thirsty yet? August is National Water Quality Month in the United States. While Earth is two-thirds water, most of that is salt water, which is not drinkable without treatment. The average person requires 25–50 liters of clean, safe water each day for drinking, cooking, and cleaning, according to www.drinkingwater.org. Nearly 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water. That’s one in six humans! Unsafe water can be the cause of many diseases and sicknesses. A lack of clean water also makes growing and producing food much more difficult, contributing to hunger problems.
In the United States, water suppliers are subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Passed by Congress in 1974 and enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this act requires that drinking water be clear of harmful organisms and chemical pollution. Each year in July, water suppliers are required to send water quality reports to residents. If a supplier serves more than 100,000 people, the report must be made available online.
How to get involved
Visit www.epa.gov and click the “Info Where You Live” map to find out if your area’s water quality report is available online. You can also click on the “Drinking Water” link on the left side of the page for more information. Learn which minerals are in your water and their effect on the human body.
There are many relief organizations that need your help to improve water quality and access in developing parts of the world. Try www.water.org, www.h20africa.org, or thewaterproject.org.
The cure for anything is salt water—sweat, tears, or the sea.
~Isak Dinesn
august 22–september 22
virgo
It’s a common misconception that Cinco de Mayo is the Mexican independence day. That day is actually September 16, which is part of the reason Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15. September 15 is the national independence day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Chile’s independence day is September 18. The commemoration started as a week in 1968 under President Johnson. President Reagan expanded the celebration to a month in 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month is meant to celebrate and honor those Americans with ancestry in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. These peoples played a major role in America’s founding and early history, particularly in western and southern states. Today, there are many famous Hispanic Americans in government, entertainment, and the business world.
It will come as no surprise to many that Spanish is America’s second most common language, behind English. The Census Bureau estimated in 2009 that there were 45 million Hispanics in the United States, with 35.5 million people speaking Spanish in the home. Spanish is also the most common second language in America.
How to get involved
Visit www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov for lots more information about this month of celebration. For biographies, trivia, and videos, visit www.biography.com/hispanic-heritage. If you have young ones in your life, Scholastic has a great page of information and activities at http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic. The page includes history, famous Latinos, games, and even a section called My Heritage for children of Hispanic descent.
Leaves and stems weave in hymns of light
in the last glow of September sunset and dusk.
~“Weeds” H. Arnett
september 22–october 22
libra
We now come to our most famous monthly commemoration: National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM). Every year in October, the color pink appears everywhere from coffee shops to the fields of the National Football League, raising awareness of the second most prevalent cancer in US females. Each year about 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in the United States, and about 40,000 women will die from the disease. The numbers of cases have risen dramatically in recent
decades, but thanks to research advances and early detection methods, the overall mortality rate has actually dropped.
NBCAM began in 1985 as a week-long dedication to educating people about breast cancer. Today the organization is a partnership of health and government agencies and public service groups that try to promote awareness of the disease, share information and support, and provide screening access. Many people’s awareness of breast cancer causes is based on charity and fund-raising efforts. Among these are the National Race for the Cure, the Breast Cancer 2 Day, the Breast Cancer 3 Day For the Cure, the Ride to Empower, Global Illumination (lighting buildings in pink), Pink Comic Strips, and various Pink Days.
How to get involved
Early detection is the best way to fight breast cancer, so ask a friend to be your screening buddy. Pick a day and email or call each other each month to remind yourselves to do your self breast exam. Even if you are young, self exams are a great way to establish a baseline, so you’ll notice even minor changes down the road. Visit www.nbcam.org for information on patient support, breast cancer news, disease facts, events,
