Times have definitely changed since I was a kid and the only mainstream marketing for the earth was a commercial of an "Indian" crying over pollution and an angry bear warning us about the dangers of forest fires. Thanks to organizations like Action for Nature and environmental competitions like the annual Canon Envirothon, kids today are exercising their minds and their power for the good of the environment.
Action for Nature, a website devoted to encouraging young people to take personal action to preserve the earth, has announced the winners of the 2008 International Eco-Hero Awards, and the results are inspiring to say the least. This particular program is meant to recognize and reward kids ages 8-16 who have done "unique, creative environmental work."
Colin Carlson, 11, created The Cool Coventry Club "to educate people about global warming and encourage energy conservation at individual, business and governmental levels." This super-kid has organized 25 events in 10 towns, organized youth and school events and addressed local governments regarding energy policies. At 11 years old I aspired to organize my Charlie's Angels cards, not a movement. Go Colin!
Out of concern for the monarch butterfly, 8 year old Ben Workinger initiated a habitat garden at his school to aid the monarchs on their migration between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Worldkeeper Linus Wafula of Nairobi started a volunteer club that "collects wastes from local households, removes garbage heaps and dumpsites near homes and drains stagnant water..."
He even raised money to provide free bags for easier disposal.
Alexander Lin, 14, on the other hand, focused on e-waste and began refurbishing old computers from his high school for re-use in his community. Educating the public while lobbying for bills banning improper disposal of e-waste and organizing recycling drives makes Alexander much more than a community hero.
Sixteen year old Vania Santosa of Indonesia got wind of the fact that her country had been named the dirtiest in the world, so she took her passion for the environment and her talent to film, stage and page. She literally educates people on the perils of pollution through song as well as in documentaries and articles, offering composting and recycling solutions as well.
Other eco-hero projects include harvesting rainwater in Uganda so the people can have safe access to drinking water during dry times, establishing at-home gardening to avoid pesticide doused foods, educating people on the link between pollution and health, establishing recycling programs and offering information and tools to empower and encourage personal action. Check out the website for tools to take action and other various ways to get involved or to read more about each of these spectacular kids.
On a more local level, the Canon Envirothon presents the finalists who will compete in Arizona for the winning distinction and over $125,000 in college scholarships. More than 265 teen finalists from 44 U.S states and 9 Canadian provinces will be tested on their knowledge of soils, land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and the current environmental issue ‘Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources'. Put on by the National Association of Conservation Districts in the U.S., the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) Forest Service and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Canon Envirothon focuses on education as "the key to conserving and preserving the planet's limited resources for future generations."
More than 500,000 teens engage in a year-long learning process that combines in-class curricula with hands-on field experiences after first competing in local environmental agency-based competitions. As mentioned, the competition is very thorough, so it's not for cupcakes hoping to get into the limelight. Here's a wink and a nod to each student involved, but the winners will be announced following the July 28-August 3 competition. And thanks Canon for trying to keep the environment picture perfect.
