Where can you see giant animals, winding fences, and bus stops built completely from recycled materials, old tires and mud? Visit Kibbutz Lotan in Israel's Negev Desert. At the Lotan Center for Creative Ecology, teens help design and build alternative structures that use wind and shade to protect visitors against the burning desert sun.

"We built our new living room, a recycling center, a porch for the daycare center, and a playground," says Shahaf Shtrickman, 14, and his brother Arbel, 16. Ta'ira Nitzan, 16, liked working on the after-school facility because "there was a wonderful feeling of togetherness."

By recycling and composting, members have reduced waste disposal by 70% each of the past 4 years. Thirteen-year-old Adi Alani enjoys building a community "that has as one of its goals preserving and restoring nature."