ECO-HERO AWARD WINNERS
Alice Wanjiru
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.
Harsita Priyadarshini Mohanty
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.
Nicolina Pappas
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."
Josue Arias Calderon
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.
Availa Johnson
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.
Elvia Gómez Troya
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.
Priyanshi Poddar
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.
Nethanya Fonseka
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.
Charmante Espoire Nduwayo
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.
Bibhuti Bhattarai
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.
Eesha Ande
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.
Aziza Kennedy
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.
Lucile Morehouse
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.
Ana Lucía Pérez Escalera
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.
Dominic Oviedo Löwen
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.
Esad Çakır
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.
Ananya & Shyam Manikandan
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.
Nigel D'Souza
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.
Brandon Lin
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.
Katia Thomas
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.