TODAY'S TOPIC: Today is Earth Day. We asked what are you doing to improve the Earth's ecology and would you ever become a vegetarian?

Earth Day is a time to help our Earth. My family lives green because we recycle, reuse plastic bags and conserve water. I help clean up around the park because that's where I play. If I don't help clean up the park, then the city will probably not let kids play there anymore. Becoming a vegetarian could help our planet. We will have more cows and chickens. As you can conclude, if we have more cows and chickens, we will get more milk and eggs. I can live with eating salad everyday.
Luis Monzon, 11
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

My family recycles to help our environment. We put boxes, newspapers, cans, bottles and glass jars in the blue bin. When my aunt has nowhere to put the grass and sticks, she just puts them in the green bin. I think becoming a vegetarian will help our environment and also give animals the chance to live in peace. If becoming a vegetarian will help our environment, then it is fine by me.
Janae Joseph, 11
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

What I'll do to make the environment better is to call 311. What that is for is to tell them where you saw graffiti and then the next time you pass by there, everything will be painted nicely. If I became a vegetarian, it would take a lot of me, but I would do it to make the world a better place.
Jacqueline de la Cruz, 11
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

The way I help the environment is by not wasting a lot of paper and if I do use paper and I mess up, I use the back of the paper. Wasting paper means you're killing trees. My friend and I pick up trash like bottles, papers and plastic. I don't leave the water going when I wash my teeth.
Sodalia M. Montano, 10
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

I would pick up trash and recycle. I also would clean my backyard. I would clean the house and make sure it is spotless. I would also clean the yard where we play in school. Also, I would make sure the environment is clean because I care about the environment.
Sepher Akhavan, 8
Wilbur Elementary
Tarzana

The things you can do to help the environment is to plant vegetables instead of buying them, walk to work, to the store, to school or to the park instead of using a car. Or, you could use a bike. You could also recycle and instead of wasting plastic bags, use paper bags or reusable carrier bags.
Chelsea Velado, 10
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

I'm living green because I am recycling plastic. I try to keep the world a better place. About being a vegetarian, I might one day but seriously, who wants to eat vegetables only? I mean, come on!
Hanna Meyer, 9
Township Elementary
Simi Valley

Some ways you can make the environment better is by using things more than once. Another way is by recycling bottles and cans. I help by cleaning up bottles and cans. I don't want to be a vegetarian because then I wouldn't get to eat hamburgers.
John C. Whitesell, 9
Wilbur Elementary
Tarzana

Earth Day helps the environment. I want to go to the park and pick up papers. I will recycle more and turn off the light every time I leave a room to save energy.
Haley Duran, 10
Lemay Elementary
Van Nuys

Yes, my family lives green. I can make the environment better by doing the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. I will also grow plants and clean up the beach. I would really want to become a vegetarian.
Ophir Sahar, 8
Wilbur Elementary
Tarzana

I will help the environment by recycling the bottles and cans. I would not waste water by watering the streets. If I become a vegetarian, I would miss eating meat. But if it is for the Earth, I will become a vegetarian.
Joseph Guerrero, 11
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

My family lives green because they recycle the right way. All the time my grandpa mows the lawn, he puts the pieces in the green bin or when he cuts the trees, he puts those pieces in the green bin. We put the cans and plastic bottles in the blue bin. The regular trash we put in the black bin. There are some people that don't recycle the right way. They put the leaves in the black bin and they mix them up. I wish a lot of people could be vegetarian and then not a lot of animals would get killed. Vegetarians do not eat meat. All vegetarians eat are vegetables, salads and things that do not have meat at all in the food.
Gary Sarkisyan, 11
Oxnard Street Elementary
North Hollywood

My family does live green. We recycle everything like bottles, cans and paper to make the environment better. A lot of people should not drive and construction sites should stop always building. I help the earth by not littering candy wrappers and cans. I want to be a pescatarin. A pescatarin is when you just eat only fish, vegetables and fruit.
Chyenne Phillips, 10
Township Elementary
Simi Valley

COMING UP: Mother's Day is May 11. What do you admire most about your mom or other special woman, such as an aunt or grandmother? Draw a picture of this person.

Parents and teachers should make sure that the student's name, address, age and school are CLEARLY PRINTED on the letters and the backs of drawings.

Pictures should be drawn using black or dark blue ink on white, unlined paper. Drawings must be no larger than a standard, 8 1/2-by-11 inch sheet of paper.

The deadline is April 29 and letters will be posted May 6. Letters received after the deadline cannot be considered.

Send entries to Kids' Daily News, P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, CA 91365-4200.