Sophomore Sara Chen walked around Northbrook with her biology class on Earth Day of last year. In the students’ hands were petitions against a proposed development of housing in a flooded area, a project that would be harmful to the habitat and the animals in the area.

After all the petitions were signed, Chen said the building company cancelled the project.

“That really made me feel like I could make a difference,” Chen said.

Science teacher Bud Mathieu said he believes it is in the hands of our generation to help fix the problems created in the past.

  “I always tell the kids, ‘We screwed the world up,’” said Mathieu.  “‘You guys have to fix it.’”

Senior Kiley Sullivan helped in a different way. She waded through a river in Northbrook picking up trash.

“It was crazy all the different things we would find cleaning the river,” said Sullivan. “I remember one year we found a chair and a really old dress.”

Sullivan said she and a group of others participated in this clean-up annually on Earth Day to help keep the river unsoiled.

“We all want the river clean, especially when it runs right by my house,” said Sullivan. “I always had a really good time putting on my rain boots and going into the river.”

Like both Sullivan and Chen, Mathieu works outside of school to help the environment.

“I’m a recycling freak at home,” said Mathieu. “I drive my whole family crazy.”

Mathieu also said he drives as little as possible and tries to live a more natural lifestyle.

According to Max Berkelhammer, environmental science professor at University of Illinois at Chicago, individuals can make an impact on a larger group of people, ultimately helping the earth.

“When people make the effort to clearly communicate the scope and scale of environmental problems, whether it be pollution or climate change, they have the capacity to educate large numbers of people,” said Berkelhammer. “This has the capacity to have huge impacts.”

Chen said she believes it is important for everyone to help out.

“You don’t have to be an environmental activist to care about the environment,” said Chen. “The well-being of the environment is something that affects everyone.”