Ashton and Zara are a brother and sister pollution-busting superhero duo from the UK. Together they founded the Hidden Plastic, an initiative that teaches other kids about our planet's plastic predicament and how they can be part of the solution.
Earth Optimism has partnered with Pelecanus on a podcast that highlights stories from interdisciplinary facets of the conservation community on the idea of possibilism. Here, Taylor Parker, who protects and restores habitats as a conservation social scientist and co-founder of Pelecanus, introduces his organization and the creation of The Possibilists.
A childhood rooted in Costa Rica's resplendent nature has given Sara Cognuck a life full of passion for saving our planet – and showing others that they can also be part of the solution.
Member States of the UN have struggled to meet targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015. A student in Nigeria recognized this dire problem and how it affected her local environment and people in her community. But she didn't just wait for change, she took the initiative, and her solutions and enthusiasm have spread through Africa and beyond. Meet Oluwaseyi Moejoh, founder of U-recycle Initiative Africa, National Geographic Young Explorer, current law student, and all-around force for positive change and a sustainable planet.
Paine Makko is the executive director of the Ujamaa Community Resource Team (UCRT) and a committed advocate for Indigenous Peoples in Tanzania. UCRT is a non-profit environmental and social justice organization that aims to empower Indigenous communities and secure their rights to land and sustainability. Makko combines both her experience as a pastoralist and her educational background in social work and sustainable development to develop solutions that work for both people and the planet. In addition to supporting Indigenous groups as a whole, Makko is also passionate about female empowerment in conservation and Indigenous spaces.
Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy is a passionate advocate for conservation and sustainability along Madagascar’s coastline communities. After working on small-scale fisheries research supported by the United Nations Nippon Foundation, Rakotondrazafy joined the Madagascar Locally Managed Marine Area Network (MIHARI), an organization that aims to represent marginalized fishing populations and work with them to create locally managed marine areas (LMMAs). Through these LMMAs, local communities can manage and protect both their own fishery practices and biodiversity by combining their traditional knowledge with the support of conservation practitioners.
Let’s make this new, even-more-digital-than-before time we are in an opportunity to create a global, online conversation and remind our fellow citizens of planet Earth that there are so many things both worth celebrating and fighting for
Sophia Kianni is a college freshman who already is making big strides in the world. While visiting family in Iran, Sophia witnessed first hand the gap in knowledge about climate change due to information being solely in English and differences in media coverage. Last year, she founded Climate Cardinals, a nonprofit that through the work of global volunteers translates climate science and research in an effort to break down language barriers. Kianni’s involvement does not stop there as she is also a member of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change and hosts her own podcast on the intersection of fashion and sustainability.
James Miller is a first-year University of Cambridge student with a passion for wildlife and conservation. An aspiring nature presenter and filmmaker, James has put his interests into action by helping to engage others in the protection of biodiversity. He has also become an avid youth climate advocate, leading him to get involved in environmental policy within the UK and globally.
The Global Co Lab Network and Smithsonian Conservation Commons partnered to create the Eco Teen Action Network to empower teens locally and globally to address the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and Earth Optimism.
Fred Tutman has dedicated decades to grassroots efforts to keep the Chesapeake Bay region's vast waterways clean. He is the longest-serving Waterkeeper in the Chesapeake Bay region and the founding Patuxent Riverkeeper. There are over 300 Waterkeepers on six continents with nearly half located in the United States – and Tutman is the only African-American Waterkeeper in the country! He's shared his experiences in this field with Smithsonian's Earth Optimism both at our 2020 Digital Summit and during a Folklife Festival collaborated event. Here we talked to him once again about how grassroots causes can empower communities and promote diversity in environmental movements.
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