On Wednesday afternoon, Naya arrived at the clearing with her arms full. She was carrying a large wooden plank, pots of paint and brushes.

Tom is already there, sitting in front of the large purple flower.

"Look! The little shoots have grown again! They now have three leaves!" he exclaims.

Naya puts down her equipment and admires the baby flowers. They are bigger and stronger.

"It makes me want to protect this place even more," she said emotionally.
The two friends set up their workshop under a large oak tree. Naya shows her drawings to Tom.

"I drew the flower in the center, and all around it, forest animals."

"Great! Could we add butterflies too?"

"Great idea! And what about the message: 'Let's protect this magical place - Let's not leave any litter'?"

" Perfect ! "

They start by sanding the board. Tom traces the outlines while Naya prepares the paints.

"My mother says that signs are good, but above all we need to explain to people WHY they shouldn't litter," explains Tom.

"You're right. We could add: 'Rare flowers live here. Help us protect them.'"

They start painting. Naya paints the background in blue and green. Tom colors the purple flower, trying to reproduce its golden highlights.

"It's difficult to make the same colors..." he sighs.

"Just do your best. If we show people that she's special, that will already be great."

Two hours later, the sign is magnificent. The flower sits in the center, surrounded by animals and butterflies. The message is written in large, colorful letters.

"We need to let it dry now," said Tom. "Next week, we'll apply the varnish and install it."

Meanwhile, they are looking for the best place to put the sign.
"And here?" Tom suggests, pointing to the entrance of the path. "It's the first place we see."

" Perfect ! "

A week later, they returned with the varnish and a hammer. They varnished the panel, which became shiny and durable.

"It looks like a real national park sign!" marvels Naya.

They carry it to the chosen tree. Naya hammers in the nails. It's not easy and she hits her finger, but she continues.

Finally, the panel is securely fixed.

"It's perfect!" exclaimed Tom.

"We really did a great job!"

Suddenly, they hear footsteps. A man walking his golden retriever approaches.

"Hello! Did you make this sign? It's really fantastic! You're true little guardians of the forest!"

"We wanted to protect the clearing," explains Tom. "There was a lot of litter there before."

The gentleman nods his head.

"You know, there are other places in the forest that have the same problem. Near the old bridge, and at Birch Hill."

Naya and Tom's eyes light up.

"Maybe we could clean them too!" said Naya.

"If you need any help, my name is Mr. Dubois. I live in the yellow house at the end of the main street."

" Thank you so much ! "

Mr. Dubois leaves with his dog.

"Can you believe it? Our sign has already inspired someone!" said Tom.

"And we've discovered other places to protect. Our mission is expanding!"

That night, Naya felt different. Stronger,more useful. She understood that even small actions can have a big impact.

Protecting nature is the most beautiful of missions.

The following Wednesday, Naya arrived at the clearing with her arms full. She carried a large wooden board that her father had given her, pots of paint, brushes of different sizes, and her sketchbook filled with ideas.

Tom is already there, sitting cross-legged in front of the large purple flower. He has also brought materials: water-resistant markers, clear varnish that his mother lent him, and even a small saw to cut the wood if necessary.

"Look!" he exclaimed, pointing to the small shoots. "They've grown even more! Some now have three leaves!"

Naya carefully sets down her equipment and approaches to admire the progress of the baby flowers. It's true, they are bigger, stronger, and their little purple buds are more visible.

"It's magnificent..." she breathed, her voice filled with emotion. "It makes me even more determined to protect this place."

The two friends set up their workshop on a flat area, in the shade of a large oak tree. Naya took out her sketches and spread them out in front of them.

"I did several drawings last night," she explains. "Look, here I drew the purple flower in the center, and all around it forest animals: a squirrel, a hedgehog, a robin..."

"It's so pretty!" exclaimed Tom. "And we could add some butterflies too, couldn't we? I saw several near the flower the other day."

"Great idea! And for the message, what do you think of: 'Let's protect this magical place - Let's not leave any litter'?"

Tom thought for a moment, then nodded.

"It's perfect. It's short, easy to understand, and it explains exactly what we want."

They begin by lightly sanding the wooden board to make it smooth. Tom sketches the main lines with a pencil while Naya prepares the paints.

"You know," said Tom, carefully tracing the outline of the flower, "my mother explained to me that signs are important. But what matters most is raising awareness. People need to understand WHY they shouldn't litter."

"You're right," Naya agreed, mixing blue and white to make a pretty sky blue. "Perhaps we could add a short sentence explaining that waste prevents plants from growing?"

“Yes! We could write in smaller print: ‘Rare flowers live here. Help us protect them.’ That way, people will understand that there is something special to preserve.”

Once the outlines were drawn, they began to paint. Naya took care of the background, which she created in shades of blue and green to evoke the sky and the forest. Tom started to color the large purple flower in the center, trying to reproduce its golden highlights.

"It's difficult to reproduce the same colors as the real flower," he sighed. "It has so many different shades..."

"Do your best," Naya encouraged her. "Anyway, nothing will be as beautiful as the real flower. But if we can show people how special it is, that will already be great."

They work in silence for a while, focused on their task. The sun filters through the leaves of the trees, creating patterns of light that dance across their panel. Birds sing in the branches above them. A light breeze makes the petals of the purple flower tremble.

"It's truly a magical place," Naya murmured, adding touches of yellow to create the butterflies. "It seems like the forest is helping us with our work."

At the endAfter two hours, the sign begins to take shape. The large purple flower sits in the center, surrounded by forest animals that seem to protect it. Butterflies flutter all around. The message is written in large, clear, and colorful letters.

"Now we need to let it dry," said Tom, stepping back to admire their work. "And then we'll apply the varnish to protect it from the rain."

While the sign dries, the two friends take the opportunity to check that no new litter has appeared in the clearing. They inspect every corner, every bush. Fortunately, everything is clean.

"The sign will be ready next week," said Naya. "We'll come back next Wednesday to varnish and install it."

"Okay. In the meantime, could we look for the best place to put it?"

They explore the area around the clearing, searching for the ideal location. The sign needs to be clearly visible to people arriving, but not too close to the flower so as not to disturb its growth.

"And here?" Tom suggests, pointing to the entrance of the small path leading to the clearing. "It's the first place you see when you arrive."

"Perfect!" Naya agreed. "And look, there's even a tree right next to it. We can attach the sign to its trunk."

They mark the spot with pebbles so they don't forget it.

A week later, the big day arrives. Naya and Tom return with varnish, nails, and a hammer. The panel has dried completely, and the colors are even more beautiful than they remembered.

"We'll apply the varnish first," said Tom. "That way, the panel will withstand rain and sun, and last a long time."

They carefully apply the clear varnish with a wide brush, making sure to cover the entire surface. The varnish makes the colors shine, giving the panel a professional look.

"It looks like a real sign you find in national parks!" Naya marvels proudly.

Once the varnish is dry, they carefully carry the sign to the tree they've chosen. Tom holds the sign in place while Naya hammers in the nails. It's not easy, and she hits her finger twice, but she grits her teeth and keeps going.

"Ouch!" she said, shaking her hand.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to take over?"

"No, it's fine. I'm almost there."

Finally, after several attempts, the sign is securely attached to the tree. It is slightly angled downwards so that the rain runs off without pooling on the surface.

The two friends took a few steps back to admire the result.

"It's perfect!" exclaimed Tom.

"We really did a great job!" adds Naya, her eyes shining with pride.
The sign is magnificent. The vibrant colors immediately catch the eye. The purple flower seems almost alive, surrounded by its animal friends. The message is clear and welcoming.

They remain there for a moment, contemplating their creation, satisfied with the work accomplished.

That's when they heard footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw a man in his fifties walking a golden retriever on a leash. The dog pulled on its leash to approach them, its tail wagging.
"Hello!" said the gentleman with a warm smile. "Did you make this sign?"

Naya and Tom nodded shyly.

"It's us," Naya replies.

The man moves closer to get a better look and his smile widens.

" It is"What you're doing is truly wonderful!" he said enthusiastically. "You're real little guardians of the forest!"

"We wanted to protect the clearing," explains Tom. "There was a lot of litter there before, and it was preventing the flowers from growing."

"Did you clean everything yourselves?"

"Yes!" Naya replied proudly. "And now the flowers are growing much better!"

The man nodded his head approvingly. His dog lay down at his feet, panting happily.

“You know,” he said after a moment, “there are other places in the forest that have the same problem. Near the old wooden bridge, there’s a small river. It’s a beautiful spot, but people often throw their rubbish there after picnics.”

Naya and Tom's eyes light up.

"Really?" asked Tom.

"Yes. And there's also Birch Hill, on the other side of the forest. It's a great spot to watch the sunset, but it's also become an illegal dump."

Naya and Tom exchange a glance. A new determination shines in their eyes.
"Maybe we could clean them too," Naya murmured.

"And make more signs!" adds Tom excitedly.

The gentleman smiled even more broadly.

"If you need any help or equipment, please don't hesitate to contact me. I live in the yellow house at the end of the main street. My name is Mr. Dubois. I would be delighted to support your initiative."

"Thank you so much!" exclaim Naya and Tom in unison.

Mr. Dubois greets them and leaves with his dog. Before disappearing among the trees, he turns around one last time.

"Keep it up, kids! The world needs people like you!"
When they are alone again, Naya and Tom remain silent for a moment, digesting this unexpected encounter.

"Do you realize?" Tom finally said. "Our sign has already inspired someone!"

"And we discovered that there are other places to protect," adds Naya.
"It's as if our mission is expanding!"

They return one last time to the clearing to check that the flowers are doing well. The large purple flower seems more open than ever, and the fifteen small shoots all now have pretty buds ready to bloom.

"We did it," Naya murmured emotionally. "We really made a difference here."

"And this is just the beginning," Tom replied with a determined smile.

Returning home that evening, Naya felt different. Taller, stronger, more useful. She had understood something important: even small actions can have a big impact. Their sign not only protected the clearing, but it also inspired Mr. Dubois, and perhaps it will inspire others.

Before falling asleep, she thinks back on the day. On the colorful sign that now protects the clearing. On the flowers that are blooming. On Mr. Dubois's smile. On Tom and their friendship that grows stronger with each adventure.

Tomorrow, she will go to school as usual. But now she knows she is part of something bigger. Something important.

The protection of nature.

And that is the most beautiful of missions.