ECO-HERO AWARD WINNERS
Brandon Lin
2025: 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
2025: 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.
Benjamin Oroszlan
2025: 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.
Dylan Turzak
2025: 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.
Luke DeMott
2025: 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.
Benjamin Fallow
2024: DR. MARY GRIFFIN-JONES AWARD
Benjamin Fallow, a 10-year-old wildlife artist and conservationist, combines nature illustration with sponsored outdoor challenges to fund ecosystem protection, securing four acres of Ecuadorian cloud forest and transforming community spaces into thriving wildlife sanctuaries.
Satvika Iyer
2023: 3rd PLACE
Eco-Hero Satvika Iyer is a passionate advocate for sustainable food systems and waste reduction. Discover her impact from school cafeterias to UC Berkeley's energy initiatives.
Mannat Kaur
2023: 3rd PLACE
India faces an acute water crisis. Learn how Mannat Kaur’s low-cost greywater system is saving thousands of liters of water daily, offering a vital solution to the nation's water crisis and promoting sustainable water management.
Lindsay Carlson & Brandee Van Donsel
2003: Age 8 - 12
In 2003, Lindsay Carlson and Brandee Van Donsel stood up to protect the ancient trees of the Sierra foothills. While their journey faced challenges, their story remains a powerful example of local youth activism and the fight for our natural heritage.
Justin Friesen
2003 International Young Eco-Hero Awards
A 2003 Eco-Hero who interviewed the Prime Minister at age 10, Justin Friesen has transformed his early advocacy into a career as a Creative Director and filmmaker. Discover how his childhood passion for nature and media led him to lead creative strategies for major Canadian firms.
Rafia Saleem
2003: International Young Eco-Hero Awards
Winner of the 2003 Eco-Hero Award, Rafia Saleem has grown from a young water safety advocate into a development leader at the World Bank. Discover how she uses her expertise in finance and media—including her hit radio show "Sabz Khawab"—to champion climate action and poverty alleviation in Pakistan.