Two weeks have passed since the recycling containers were installed. Today is the big day: the Forest Open Day!

Naya arrives at 9 o'clock with her family. There are already a lot of people. Tom is there, busy hanging up a banner: "WELCOME TO THE FOREST DISCOVERY DAY - ORGANIZED BY THE GREEN BRIGADE".

Throughout the forest, the members of the Green Brigade have everything ready. At each sorting point, a sign explains what should be thrown in each compartment. Malik and Théo have created a "Discovery Trail" with twelve stations that explain the trees, animals, and plants.

Léa and Sarah give each visitor a "Friend of the Forest" badge and a small bag with wildflower seeds.

"That way, you can plant flowers in your garden to help the bees!" explains Léa.

Naya walks among the visitors. She is happy to see that people are genuinely interested in the forest.

Suddenly, a man with a large camera approaches her.

"Hello! I'm Paul Martin from the regional newspaper. Is that you, Naya?"

Naya nods, a little intimidated.

"Can I interview you? Your story is extraordinary!"

Naya tells all: the discovery of the purple flower, the polluted clearing, the sign that didn't work, the investigation with Tom, the meeting at the town hall...

The journalist takes notes and photos.

"You are heroes, children," he said emotionally. "Your story will be published on the front page. It will inspire many young people!"

In the afternoon, after the visitors had left, Naya and Tom decided to go see their favorite clearing one last time.

Upon arriving, they stop, speechless.

The transformation is incredible! There are now dozens of purple flowers everywhere! Some are small, some are large, but all are beautiful and healthy.

"It's... it's magic!" Naya whispers.

"Look!" whispers Tom, pointing his finger.

In the trees, three little squirrels are playing chase. They jump from branch to branch, looking joyful and fearless.

"Those are the babies from the family we saw!" said Naya.

Then, near the bushes, something moves. A magnificent red fox slowly emerges. It watches them for a moment, then settles down peacefully in the sun.

"The fox is back!" said Tom, amazed.

Naya felt tears welling up in her eyes. Tears of happiness.

"Do you understand what's happening?" she said, her voice trembling. "The animals are coming back! They feel safe here again!"

"Because we protected their home," Tom replied softly.

They sit in the grass and watch the scene in silence. The flowers dancing in the wind. The squirrels playing. The fox sleeping peacefully. The butterflies flying from flower to flower.

"When we protect nature," Naya murmurs, "it repays us a hundredfold."

"That's right," said Tom. "We cleared a clearing, and look what it gives us in return: a magnificent sight!"

Emma, Malik and Léa join them.

"Look at all these animals!" exclaimed Emma. "It's incredible!"

"This is our reward," Naya said with a big smile. "Nature is thanking us."

That evening, in her Green Brigade diary, Naya wrote:

*“Today, I understood somethingImportant: when we protect nature, it repays us a hundredfold. We cleared a glade, and now it's full of beautiful flowers. We put in trash cans, and the animals are coming back. Nature was just waiting for us to give it a chance. And it proved to us that it can live again. I'm proud of us. But above all, I'm grateful to the forest that taught me everything.

Two weeks have passed since the installation of the recycling containers. Two weeks during which the Green Brigade has worked tirelessly to ensure the project is a real success.

This Saturday morning is the big day: the Forest Open Day!

Naya arrives at the forest entrance at 9 o'clock with her parents and her little sister Lila. There are already many people there. Students from her class with their families, neighbors, people she doesn't know, and even Mrs. Leroux accompanied by her husband.

Tom is already there, busy hanging a large banner between two trees: "WELCOME TO THE FOREST DISCOVERY DAY - ORGANIZED BY THE GREEN BRIGADE".

"Naya! You're here!" he shouts joyfully. "Come help me tie this side!"

Together, they securely fasten the banner. It flutters gently in the morning breeze, like a victory flag.

"Are we ready?" asks Emma, who arrives with a stack of brochures she created.

"Ready!" Naya replied with a big smile.

Throughout the forest, members of the Green Brigade have everything ready. At each sorting point, an information panel has been installed to show exactly what should be thrown in each compartment. Colored arrows guide visitors from one point of interest to another.

Malik and Théo created a "Discovery Trail" with twelve stations. At each station, a sign explains something interesting: the different species of trees, the animals that live here, edible plants, the importance of the forest ecosystem...

"Station number 1: The Centennial Oak!" a father reads aloud to his son. "This oak is over 150 years old and is home to dozens of species of insects and birds."

"Wow!" exclaimed the little boy, his eyes wide.

Léa and Sarah set up at the entrance with a table and homemade badges. Each visitor receives a "Friend of the Forest" badge and a small bag made from recycled fabric.

"What's in the bag?" asks an elderly lady.

"Wildflower seeds!" Léa explains proudly. "That way, you can plant beautiful flowers in your garden or on your balcony to help the bees and butterflies!"

"What a wonderful idea!" said the lady, smiling.

Naya walks among the visitors, observing their reactions. Her heart swells with happiness each time she sees someone stop to read a sign, admire nature, or use the recycling containers correctly.

"Look, Mom!" cries a child. "There's a squirrel up there!"

Naya looks up and smiles. It's true, there's a red squirrel jumping from branch to branch, its bushy tail forming a plume behind it.

Tom joined her.

"The bins are working really well! I just checked the container near the lake. People are actually using it! And they're sorting properly!"

"That's great!" exclaims Naya. "You see, I was wrong to doubt. People WANT to do the right thing."

"Hey! Come on!" said Tom suddenly, grabbing his arm. "There's a journalist who just arrived!"

Indeed, a man with a professional camera and a notebook is talking to Ms. Leroux at the entrance. It's not the same journalist as last time.

"Hello!" said the man, approaching Naya and Tom. "I'm Julien Mercier, from the regional newspaper 'La Voix de la Nature'. I heard about your wonderful project and wanted to come."See for yourself.

"Really?" said Naya, surprised and a little intimidated.

"Really! Your story is inspiring. It's not so common to see children taking matters into their own hands to protect their environment. Would you be willing to give me a tour?"

"With pleasure!" replied Tom.

For an hour, Naya and Tom guide the journalist through the forest. They show him the five sorting points, explain how they conducted their investigation, and recount their meeting with the mayor.

The journalist takes notes and photos. He also interviews other members of the Green Brigade, parents, and visitors.

"What does this initiative inspire in you?" he asks a mother who is walking with her two children.

"It's wonderful!" she replied. "These children are teaching us a lesson in commitment. Frankly, it reminds us adults that everyone can make a difference. My children now talk to me all the time about the importance of protecting nature."

The journalist smiled and continued writing.

When they finally arrive at the clearing with the purple flowers, Naya stops abruptly.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Tom... do you see what I see?"

The clearing has completely changed. The purple flowers, which were just a small clump a few weeks ago, have multiplied! They are now everywhere, creating a magnificent purple and gold carpet that shimmers in the sunlight.

"It's... it's incredible!" Naya whispers, her voice trembling with emotion.

"They've reproduced!" said Tom, amazed. "Now that they have room to breathe, they're multiplying!"

The journalist takes photo after photo.

"This is living proof that your efforts are working," he said admiringly. "When we protect nature, it repays us a hundredfold."

Naya kneels down near the flowers. She easily finds the first one, the one she had discovered, the one that was a little damaged. Now it is magnificent, surrounded by dozens of other identical flowers.

"You see?" she whispers to the flower as if it could hear her. "You were protected. And you survived."

But that's not all.

"Shh!" Tom suddenly said, putting a finger to his lips. "Look over there!"

He points towards the edge of the clearing.

Naya holds her breath.

Two squirrels! They are rummaging through the dead leaves, looking for seeds and nuts.

"They made their nest here!" Naya whispers, her eyes shining. "They would never have built their nest in a polluted area!"

"That's because the clearing is clean now," Tom murmured. "And safe."

The squirrels approach a little closer, not at all frightened by the motionless humans. The young ones play together, chasing each other around the trunk of a tree.

The journalist takes photos silently, so as not to frighten them.

But the surprises don't end there.

While the group remains motionless watching the squirrels, a movement catches Naya's attention on the other side of the clearing.

A fox!

A magnificent red fox with a flamboyant coat slips between the trees. It stops at the edge of the clearing, sniffs the air, then moves calmly towards a hollow tree.

"A fox..." Naya breathed, amazed. "I've never seen one here before!"

"They normally avoid crowded areas""By humans," the journalist explains quietly. "But here, he must feel safe. The forest has become a true natural habitat again."

The fox stayed for a few minutes, rummaging through the leaves, then disappeared as silently as it had come.

Naya felt tears welling up in her eyes. Tears of pure joy.

"Wildlife is returning," she whispers. "We did it. We really did it."

Tom takes her hand and squeezes it tightly.

"Yes. We did it."

The journalist puts away his camera and turns towards them.

"You know what, kids? This story is going to be much more than just an article. I'm going to suggest to my editor that we do a full-length feature. Maybe we could even make a video for our website. Your project deserves to be known all over the region!"

"Really?" said Naya, stunned.

“Truly. Because you have done something rare: you have proven that it is possible to restore an ecosystem, even on a small scale. And you did it with determination, intelligence, and heart.”

Later in the afternoon, as the Open Day was drawing to a close, the mayor arrived unexpectedly.

"Mr. Mayor!" exclaimed several children when they saw him.

"Hello, hello!" he said, smiling. "I wanted to see how your big day was going."

"It's a success!" announces Emma. "We had over 200 visitors!"

"More than 200! Fantastic!"

Madame Leroux joins him.

"The children have done a remarkable job, Mr. Mayor. Everything is perfectly organized."

"I have no doubt about it. In fact, I have an announcement to make."

All the children gathered around him, curious.

"The city council met last night. And we decided to officially create the 'Young Guardians of the Environment' program. Your Green Brigade will be the model. We will propose to all the schools in the city that they create their own brigade to protect different natural areas."

"Seriously?" exclaimed Malik.

"Absolutely serious. And that's not all. The city will allocate a small annual budget to support your activities: purchasing equipment, printing brochures, organizing events..."

The children burst with joy.

"We'll be able to do even more things!" said Léa, enthusiastically.

"Exactly!" confirmed the mayor. "You've paved the way. Now others will follow."

In the late afternoon, when all the visitors have left, the Green Brigade gathers one last time in the clearing.

They are sitting in a circle on the grass, tired but happy.

"We did something incredible today," said Theo.

"Not just today," Tom corrects. "From the beginning. Ever since Naya discovered this clearing."

All eyes turn towards Naya.

She blushed a little, but smiled.

"I only noticed a flower. It's all of you who have transformed it into something great."

"No," Emma said softly. "You did much more than notice a flower. You decided to act. And that's what started it all."

"She's right," Malik agreed. "Without you, this clearing would still be a dump. Without you, we would never have created the Green Brigade."

Naya looks at her friends, one by one. Tom, her partner in crime from the very beginning. Emma, withHis communication skills. Malik and his statistics. Léa and her creativity. Théo and his brilliant ideas. And all the others, each contributing their own piece to the puzzle.

"Thank you," she said simply, her voice filled with emotion. "Thank you for believing in this project. Thank you for fighting alongside me."

"We're a team," said Tom. "And we're going to continue to be one."

"Always!" the others shout in unison.

They stayed a while longer in the clearing, watching the purple flowers dance in the evening wind, listening to the birds sing, breathing the pure forest air.

Above them, in the branches, the little squirrels are playing. Somewhere in the bushes, the fox is resting in its den.

Life has returned to normal.

And all this because a little girl decided that a beautiful flower deserved to be protected.

That evening, in her Green Brigade diary, Naya wrote:

*“Today I understood something important: when we protect nature, it repays us a hundredfold.”*

We cleared a clearing, and now it's filled with beautiful flowers.

*We installed trash cans, and the animals are coming back.*

We have set an example, and other schools will follow suit.

*Nature was just waiting for this: to be given a chance.*

*And it has proven to us that it can regenerate, multiply, and come back to life.*

Tomorrow, the regional newspaper will publish an article about us. Other children will read our story. And perhaps some of them will decide to protect their own little corner of nature.

*It's like purple flowers: we planted a seed of action, and now it's multiplying everywhere.*

*I am proud. Proud of us. Proud of what we have accomplished.*

*But above all, I am grateful to the forest, which has taught me everything: that beauty deserves to be protected, that action is better than complaints, and that together, we can accomplish miracles.*

She closes her notebook and falls asleep with a smile, already dreaming of the next adventure of the Green Brigade.