Action for Nature Honors Fourteen Bold Young Eco-Heroes
Working in Communities from Texas to Germany to Tackle Tough Environmental Problems.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA –-(AmmoLand.com)- If you think all teens want to do is hang out at the mall, think again. The fourteen extraordinary winners of Action For Nature’s International Young Eco-Heroes Award for 2010 aren’t shopping for cute boots.
They’re designing and building environmental centers, keeping water supplies safe, reforesting their communities and educating their peers. With creativity, drive and a deep concern for the future of the planet, they are tackling some of the globe’s most urgent problems with kid power.
Every year since 2003, Action For Nature (AFN), a U.S.-based non-profit, has recognized young people ages 8-16 who are taking important steps to solve tough environmental problems. Youth from countries around the world, hoping to be selected, send in their stories and explain their work. A panel of judges including experts in environmental science, biology and education determines the year’s winners. Each receives a cash prize, a certificate and other benefits.
Four of the top winners this year are:
Sarah Jo Lambert: Lubbock, Texas, Age: 16, First Place
When 16-year-old Sarah Jo Lambert of Texas decided to go green two years ago, she had a big vision. In addition to wanting to provide local teachers with an environmental curriculum, she also wanted to build an entire environmental education center at a camp near her home. She knew she couldn’t tackle it alone, so she forged partnerships with youth groups and local companies.
Working with EarthCo Building Systems, Sarah Jo spent more than 425 hours helping build the earth block construction eco-center over two years. She learned to drive a backhoe and dump truck, and she worked on the construction tasks alongside the builders. She recruited more than 2,000 people to help build and/or donate to her cause, and together they volunteered more than 1,000 hours of work.
When the eco-center was completed in spring 2010, she named it the Lorax Lodge, after a Dr. Seuss character. “Even though Dr. Seuss used all these crazy words, he really knew what he was talking about,” Sarah Jo said. “He knew how to get kids involved.”
Gates Bierhuizen: Culpeper, Virginia, Age: 15, Third Place
When the grandfather of 15-year-old Gates Bierhuizen of Virginia passed away a year ago, the family wasn’t sure how to dispose of his unused medications. One family member suggested flushing the pills down the drain. But Gates didn’t like the sound of that.
On a mission to find a better way to dispose of the pills, Gates reached out to many organizations including the local landfill, hospital, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. His research uncovered that improper disposal of pharmaceuticals contributed to water contamination and had a significant impact on the health of humans and wildlife. But what was the answer? “It became more and more apparent that no one had a solution,” he said.
So Gates took matters into his own hands. Partnering with a local agency and a reverse drug distributor, he founded a take-back program called STOP (Stop Throwing Out Pharmaceuticals). So far he has collected hundreds of pounds of pharmaceuticals and delivered them to the reverse drug distributor, which incinerates the drugs for energy.
Gates has also educated the public by creating brochures and reaching out to the public at health fairs and the local library. His long-term goal is to see legislation pass that will provide the public with a safer way to dispose of unwanted medications.
Liam Bane O’Neil: Durango, Colorado, Age: 11, Second Place
Every day, on his way home from school, 11-year-old Liam Bane O’Neil of Colorado passed an unused patch of land full of weeds. The lot belonged to a neighbor and Bane saw potential.
With the support of his family, Bane received permission to use the land to start a large garden project. He received help from friends, and together they leveled the land and planted a sustainable, organic garden that serves both the community and the local wildlife. He also started community composting and made sure no weed killers or synthetic fertilizers were used, which would have contaminated local water supplies.
The outskirts of the garden feature plants for local wildlife (at times Bane has counted as many as 50 birds feasting on the sunflowers), while the fenced inside serves as a vegetable garden. The community shares the bountiful harvest of locally produced food. “I’m most proud of having this garden and having all the support we had,” Bane says. “I just enjoy giving.”
Next year he is planning on extending the garden in size and also including a flowerbed to be enjoyed by senior neighbors.
Felix Finkbeiner: Paul, Germany, Age: 12, First Place
For 12-year-old Felix Finkbeiner of Germany what started off as a small class presentation about deforestation and the need to plant trees quickly grew into a global youth effort to protect the environment. Felix told his classmates, “Let’s get children all over the world to plant one million trees in their countries.”
Felix began to present at schools across Germany, recruiting youth for his cause. Invited to speak at the 2009 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Tunza Conference in South Korea, he urged other youth to take up the cause around the world. Five hundred youth from 54 countries responded.
Felix joined the United Nations organization, Plant-for-the-Project, where he now serves as a spokesperson. He was elected by youth to serve on the Tunza Junior Board, which advises UNEP on how to best appeal to and educate youth around the planet about environmental issues.
Already one million trees have been planted in Germany, and Felix continues his international effort to encourage young people in other countries to match his goal.
Applications and guidelines for the 2011 award are available from August 2010 through January 2011. Deadline for entry is February 28, 2011. Youth must be at least 8 years old and no more than 16 years old as of February 28, 2011. Projects must concern environmental advocacy, environmental health, research or protection of the natural world. Projects must be current in the last year. Ongoing efforts that include an outreach or education component are more likely to be recognized.
For more information or to obtain a 2011 application, parents, teachers and young people should visit www.actionfornature.org or email awards@actionfornature.org.
Action For Nature is an environmental, education and advocacy non-profit that encourages young people to take personal action to nurture and protect a healthy environment on which all life depends. Based in San Francisco, California, Action For Nature believes that the long-term health of our planet requires that young people learn the importance of understanding and protecting it.
For the complete list of the 2010 winners, see below. For profiles, go to www.actionfornature.org. Photography and interviews are available on request.
2010 INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ECO-HERO AWARDS WINNERS
(listed in alphabetical order)
Eric Babb: Highland, Utah, Age: 14, Second PlaceRecruited more than 1,000 people to help remove invasive plants
Gates Bierhuizen: Culpeper, Virginia, Age: 15, Third Place
Founded a pharmaceutical take-back program to protect his local water supply
Connor Cass: Tulsa,Oklahoma, Age: 14, Honorable Mention
Reforested Tulsa with 400 trees and provided youth with 600 saplings to plant
Sarah Connor: Northport, New York, Age: 10, Second Place
Supported environmental issues and tree planting through her lemonade stand and web site
Felix Finkbeiner: Paul, Germany, Age: 12, First Place
Inspired youth worldwide to plant over one million trees through an outreach campaign
Aitan Grossman: Palo Alto, California, Age: 13, Honorable Mention
Wrote and composed a song about climate change and global warming and distributed it worldwide
Sarah Jo Lambert: Lubbock, Texas, Age: 16, First Place
Conceptualized and built an eco-friendly environmental center for youth
Muthamizh M.: Tamilnadu, India, Age: 15, Third Place
Campaigned against global warming and climate change, reaching out to 4,000 people
Liam Bane O’Neil: Durango, Colorado, Age: 11, Second Place
Started a sustainable community garden for both local people and wildlife
Jordyn Schara: North Freedom, Wisconsin, Age: 15, Honorable Mention
Founded a local chapter of a pharmaceutical take-back program and educated others about the issue
Elodie Sihan: Ivory Coast, Age: 16, Second Place
Put a stop to bush fires by recruiting friends and educating locals in five villages
Brandon Wood: Kissimmee, Florida, Age: 9, Honorable Mention
Raised funds to transport a laboratory chimpanzee to a sanctuary
Asad Zaidi: Punjab, Pakistan, Age: 16, Honorable Mention
Started an environmental education campaign and presented it to 1,650 students
Alexander James Zerphy: Annapolis, Maryland, Age: 13, First Place
Started a non-profit to protect horseshoe crabs and educate local youth about them.
About
Action For Nature, Inc. is an international non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California, that encourages young people to take personal action to better their environments and to foster love and respect for nature. Visit: www.actionfornature.org