BUTLER TOWNSHIP -- Hazleton Area students observed Earth Day in their own way this year by planting seedlings and building makeshift bird feeders.
Working together, carefully, students from Hazleton Area's Academy of Sciences pitched in and pulled out trash from behind their school in Drums. It's all part of their Earth Day celebration.
“We found so much junk and it looks so much better now that we've started to clean it up," said sophomore Mikayla Schultz.
Students have been learning new ways to conserve and reduce. Teachers say Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to get kids out of class and into the field.
"If we can help even half of the kids here have a better awareness of the planet, then we've done something important here today," said Marie Ernst, Academy of Sciences Vice Principal.
Once students sort through all the trash, anything that can be salvaged is brought to the recycling station. It's one of 14 stations set up at the school to help students learn how to protect and save the environment.
Mikayla Schultz says she learned how to recycle the right way. Now she's sharing what she's learned with other students.
"Well we're all just kind of helping each other out, learning things along the way," said Shultz.
Students are learning new things. Betsey Guiterez got her hands dirty planting tulips in the front of the school. It's a new experience for the ninth grader.
“No, but this was my first time and it was really fun," said Gutierrez.
All the little projects build up into a bigger picture. Students say that's what makes the difference.
"When we start to learn a little more about our surroundings and what we do in our daily lives it makes a bigger impact," said freshman Wyitt Ranck.
Students and faculty at the Academy of Sciences say the Earth Day event was a big success and hope to hold it next year.