
2025 INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ECO-HERO AWARD WINNERS
Meet the 2025 Eco-Hero Award Winners, Young Environmental Activists Leading Innovative Solutions to Global Challenges
2025 International YOUNG Eco-Hero Award Winners

Action For Nature is proud to announce our 2025 International Young Eco-Hero Awards, celebrating the remarkable environmental achievements of young people aged 8 to 16. These awards recognize their innovative efforts to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, pollution, and wildlife conservation. We hope their accomplishments inspire many others to join the mission of preserving and protecting our planet.
Winners are divided into two age groups: 8-13 and 14-16. Please note that the ages listed below reflect each winner’s age as of February 28, 2025.
AGE GROUP 8 – 13
1st PLACE
Alice Wanjiru, an 11-year-old climate ambassador, has led efforts to rehabilitate Nairobi's Ruai Sewer Treatment Plant by planting over 2,000 trees, mobilizing community clean-ups, and successfully advocating for policies protecting communities from harmful emissions.
2nd PLACE
Harsita Priyadarshini Mohanty is recognized for her project on agro-biodiversity conservation. At just 13, she established a unique indigenous seed bank, preserving over 240 varieties of paddy and millet through a "loan for exchange" method to promote food security and climate resilience.
2nd PLACE
Nicolina Pappas, a 13-year-old from the United States, combats single-use plastic pollution through Nicolina's Turtle Co. She has raised over $15,000 for conservation, educated thousands, and successfully advocated for her "Skip the Plastic Campaign," leading to city-wide proclamations and state resolutions like "Skip the Plastic Day."
3rd PLACE
Josué Arias Calderón, age 11 from Bogotá, Colombia, is a passionate defender of high-mountain ecosystems. Through social media videos and restoration campaigns, he educates and inspires thousands to protect vital páramos and glaciers, ensuring water for 85% of Colombians.
HONORABLE MENTION
Eco-Hero Availa Johnson, age 8 from Florida, is transforming plastic waste into fashion and promoting creative reuse. Through her EcoCreators Design Club, she inspires students to upcycle materials, educating thousands and saving plastic from oceans.
HONORABLE MENTION
Elvia Gómez Troya, 13, from Egüés, Navarra, Spain, is "Elvia the Tracker," inspiring global conservation. Through her popular Instagram, published book, and direct anti-poaching efforts in Zambia, she shares a profound love for wildlife, educating thousands and fostering respect for nature.
AGE GROUP 14-16
1st PLACE
Priyanshi Poddar, 16, from Biratnagar, Nepal, is transforming rubber waste into comfort and dignity for underserved communities. Through her Saathi initiative, she upcycles discarded rubber into mats and clogs, benefiting over 4,000 individuals and preventing significant CO₂ emissions.
2nd PLACE
Nethanya Fonseka, 16, from Michigan, leads Plant It Forward, a powerful initiative combating climate change through tree planting. She cultivates climate resilience and environmental justice, securing funding for a microforest and honoring Indigenous heritage through native gardens.
2nd PLACE
Charmante Espoire Nduwayo, 15, from Bujumbura, Burundi, is saving the Gikoma River. Through tree planting and community education on sanitary waste, she's stabilized riverbanks, reduced pollution, and safeguarded her community's health and livelihoods.
3rd PLACE
Bibhuti Bhattarai, 16, from Nepal, empowers communities through "Girls Leading Organic Way." She teaches young girls and mothers to transform kitchen waste into organic compost, fostering sustainable farming and reducing reliance on harmful chemicals.
3rd PLACE
Eesha Ande, 16, from San Antonio, Texas, combats period poverty and plastic waste through her impactful sustainable menstrual hygiene initiative, empowering menstruators with reusable products and vital education.
HONORABLE MENTION
Aziza Kennedy, 16, from Alexandria, Virginia, transformed her school's waste management by establishing the "SJC Compost Initiative." Through unwavering persistence, she successfully implemented composting to combat food waste and reduce emissions.
HONORABLE MENTION
Lucile Morehouse, 14, from Oklahoma, leads "Lucile's Pollinator Project," distributing thousands of native seed packets globally. She's sowing seeds of change, raising awareness, and fostering vital habitats to combat pollinator decline.
SPECIAL AWARDS
DR. MARY GRIFFIN-JONES AWARD
Ana Lucía Pérez Escalera, 13, from Salinas, Puerto Rico, leads "De a Pokito por Puerto Rico." She educates over 100,000 people on environmental care and waste reduction through STEAM, hackathons, and legislative advocacy.
SHIMON SCHWARZSCHILD AWARD
Dominic Oviedo Löwen, 16, from Itauguá, Paraguay, leads "Mymba Saite." He meticulously documents and shares his country's biodiversity, awakening love for wild animals through books, social media, and education.
FINALISTS
FINALIST
Esad Çakır, 13, from Istanbul, Turkey, created the "Ocean Literacy" project, a school-wide initiative to make ocean science accessible to students from kindergarten through middle school and inspire them to become problem-solvers for our oceans.
FINALIST
Ananya and Shyam Manikandan, a brother-sister duo from the UAE, champion sustainable living through an innovative blend of short films, music, and community action, inspiring thousands to reduce waste and protect the planet.
FINALIST
Nigel D'Souza, 14, from Arusha, Tanzania, is a dedicated young herpetologist and conservationist. He uses his platform to educate communities about the importance of snakes, dispelling common fears and highlighting their crucial role in the ecosystem.
FINALIST
Brandon Lin, 15, from Hillsborough, CA, is the founder of The ReCap Project, which recycles clean medical plastic waste from Bay Area health systems into usable items like clipboards, creating a sustainable circular economy.
FINALIST
Katia Thomas, 16, from Beverly Hills, CA, is a dedicated advocate for environmental justice. She is a featured protagonist in the documentary Green SuperHeroes 2030 and has fundraised for the Indigenous Cofan community of the Amazon, while also inventing a device that generates electricity from garbage.
FINALIST
Benjamin Oroszlan, 16, from Calabasas, California, is the founder of the P-22 Youth Wildlife Awareness Initiative. He educates thousands of elementary school students on the importance of wildlife coexistence, inspired by the new Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing.
FINALIST
Dylan Turzak, 16, from Scotts Valley, California, is the founder of We Are Planet Protectors, an educational platform that inspires elementary school children through published books, free curricula, and engaging in-person activities to become lifelong environmental stewards.
FINALIST
Luke DeMott, 16, from La Jolla, California, is the founder of Sustainable Housing San Diego. His non-profit educates communities about cost-effective sustainable housing and composting practices, actively working to combat environmental injustice.