We have been studying lots about natural resources and investigating different ways to solve the environmental problems that the world is facing. One activity we did was tree planting. Since we had just learned about the over use of fossil fuels and how the super-dependence on transportation is leading to increased carbon emissions, I decided that we all needed to walk to the tree planting site, rather than taking the school bus 3 minutes down the road! This seemed only logical to me, but it was a shocking suggestion to my students and fellow teachers!? Each student planted one tree and a plaque with the tree type and their own name on it. Gordon Benton (in blue) is the creator and planner for Lippo Karawaci and has done a tremendous job making our town a exemplar for the future in Indonesia. We are the first planned city in Indonesia and it is amazing how different it feels here. There are trees and open green spaces. The mall and schools are logically placed and there is sufficient transportation between commercial and residential areas. We are one of the only cities with drinkable tap water and efficient garbage removal and pest control. The tree planting program has been set up to help clean our air and prevent the terrible flooding that is an annual occurance in Jakarta. I hope and pray that as my students learn about the problems all around them, that they will be inspired by people like Mr. Benton to be active problem solvers and to make a difference in their beautiful country!