Teens Unite for Planet Earth

©WCS

At first glance, a teak planting team in Ghana and a squirrel squad from Boise do not seem to have much in common. But both environmental service projects sprouted from the same source of inspiration: the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Teens for Planet Earth program. These two enterprising groups took gold in the program’s 2008 Service Awards, which honored the conservation work of young adults from across the globe.

WCS founded Girls for Planet Earth in 2001, and has since expanded the international program to include boys. Nearly 400 teens from more than 30 countries participate in the program, receiving technical support to develop and implement their projects under the supervision of adult advisors.

A panel of WCS staff members judged the competition. Criteria included data about the projects, photos, and testimonials. Each of the four teams to earn gold medals won $1,000 to further their projects. Additionally, 11 teams earned silver awards and 10 won bronze, together representing four continents and work on behalf of toads in the Long Island Sound, wetlands in Ohio, cleaner streets in Bangalore, and more.

In an effort to combat destructive clear-cutting, the 10-member Kubiti Teak Plantation Group from the Volta Region of Ghana nurtured teak saplings from seeds and planted 15,000 of the trees around homes, along roads, at the edges of rivers, and elsewhere.

Also concerned about soil erosion in their hometown of Mbeya, a Tanzanian brigade of six known as the “Soldiers of the Environment” tackled local farming issues. Many crops in Mbeya are cultivated along riverbanks, which leads to soil erosion and increased flooding. To help prevent this effect, the group planted bamboo and other trees along the Mwatisi River. Both top-ranking teams took their projects a step farther, by helping to educate their communities. The teak planters advocated for local forestry practices that avoid harmful clear cutting, and the bamboo planters taught farmers in their community about sustainable agriculture.

The quartet of girls who made up the Southern Idaho Squirrel Squad helped restore habitat and conduct field research for a population of endangered ground squirrels. This group assisted a graduate student with tracking via radio telemetry and data collection. They also put their lessons in the field to another use, designing a brochure for youth who are completing a hunters’ education course.

The fourth group to receive the highest honor took on a recent conservation disaster that has sparked alarm and controversy from scientists and industry. Team B.E.E.S., or the Bergen Environmental Effort to Save Bees, was concerned about the plight of the honeybee following the emergence of Colony Collapse Disorder. Bees across the world have mysteriously disappeared from their hives, never to return. The six New Jersey teens learned how to raise honeybees, building their own hive box and even donning bee suits. They have been selling their honey products at local festivals and fairs, where they also educate browsers about the honeybee’s role in pollinating local plants and crops.

Learn More
Learn more about the projects of all gold, silver, and bronze medalists on the Teens for Planet Earth website.

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