Around the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area of Minnesota, you might spot crews of teenagers along roadways and in forest areas, doing tasks such as planting trees, restoring trails, and removing invasive species. The Green Crew, an environmental group founded three years ago, tackles hands-on conservation work to help young people channel their fears about climate change into something productive. The group might be onto something: Early research suggests that taking part in collective action can help reduce depression, anxiety, and despair about the environment, says Sarah Lowe, an associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health. This year, more than 2,000 people are expected to participate in the Green Crew’s projects, which are designed, planned, and executed by teens (with some help from adults). The group is also working to start other chapters in the state. “It feels like I’m not just sitting around and doing nothing,” says founder Hannah Stockert Barisonzi, 17. “It gives me hope.”