Alex W.
Alex is 11 years old and is in the 5th grade in Southern California. His favorite thing to do is to play competitive basketball. He loves being with his teammates and the challenge of the game. It has shown him how working together with a team can be very meaningful. He also enjoys traveling, tennis, golf, snowboarding, street hockey and spending time with friends and family. His favorite subjects in school are math, social studies and art. He loves animals and is very concerned about how many of them are losing their homes and natural habitats. He believes that with his voice, he can make sure he speaks and inspires others to speak out to make changes for those who don’t have a voice like our animals or young kids. He hopes that this will ensure that we can have a safe, healthy and clean place to live in the future. Alex was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation. For 2012 Earth Day, Alex collaborated with grocery stores and schools to have hundreds of students decorate paper bags with messages about sustainability. The bags were used to bag groceries on Earth Day.

Amber F.
Amber is a high school student. She is leading efforts at her school to decrease trash destined to the landfills and increase recycling and composting for the school garden. Amber reminds us that trash within 50 miles from the ocean frequently ends-up polluting the ocean. Despite her school being miles from the coast, Seagulls were a constant problem on campus due to the amount of trash left by students following meal and snack breaks. Amber also loves gardening and started a garden at her apartment complex with her younger brothers. She volunteers frequently and is a member of the Price Charities Cardinal Interact program, which works to improve her community. Amber is working to expand the school clean-up, recycling and composting program to the broader community and has engaged fellow Cardinals Interact students to help. She has seven siblings and is the third born. Amber has lived in Rosarito, as well as the east coast and west coast of the United States. Amber is a member of the Crafts Club, Octagon Club, Animal Rights Club at her school. In addition, she is involved in the Girls’ Group in her apartment complex.

Amelia M.
Amelia is a leader, an artist, an athlete. She is a part of the Kids Eco Club because she wants to see how she can have an impact on the world. “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” –Gandhi. Amelia started playing soccer from a young age and she still does. Amelia also participated in Martial Arts. Amelia loves animals and has a mini zoo at home, along with her horse. Amelia has taken equestrian classes all over the county, and learned how different each area is. Amelia has been taught many things from her parents. Her dad helps her with homework and her mom teaches her different ideas with each job. At one point Amelia’s mom worked at Cuyamaca College and the Water Conservation Garden, where Amelia’s class went to field trips and learned about wildlife, plants, and of course, the environment. Amelia was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Blaise G.
Blaise is a middle school student and an avid bicyclist. He has met with the Padres Baseball Club to discuss the need for valet bike parking for all home games. They are continuing their dialog. In the meantime, the Padres have asked Blaise to create bike routes to Petco Park to post on their website. In addition, Blaise has started and circulated a petition asking the Padres to offer free valet bike parking at all home games. Blaise was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Evan L.
Evan is a 6th grade Seminar student in Southern California. He is passionate about eliminating single use plastic bags due to his concern about marine animals and the growing Pacific Garbage Patch. His article “The Problem With Plastic Bags” was featured in the April 2012 edition of Earth Times. Evan publically spoke before the Solana Beach City Council members and encouraged them to vote yes and reduce single use plastic bags in their community. Moments after this the council voted unanimously in favor making Solana Beach the first community in San Diego County to pass such legislation. He started a petition to ban the sale and distribution of single use plastic bags within the City Of San Diego as well. Sign Evan's Change.org petition here. Evan is a member of the Solana Beach Clean and Green Committee, which is instrumental in performing energy audits, outreach, sustainability evaluations and recycling for the community. In addition, Evan has spoken out on the need to save the honey bees as well as written an informative article on bees. Evan has been recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation. His favorite subjects in school are math and science. He loves sports and his favorites are soccer, tennis, basketball, skiing and surfing. He thinks the environment is very important because without nature we cannot survive. He believes we all need to work together to protect nature and all the animals in it because they all contribute their part to the ecosystem.

Francisco R.

Gage S.
Gage is 12 years old and a sixth grader in southern California. He is co-president of his school’s Student Council. His favorite subjects are math, science and art. He loves drawing, running, basketball, animals, and being outdoors. Gage wants to learn more about protecting the environment. He is an avid gardener and enjoys finding bugs and reptiles. Gage hopes to inspire and lead others to raise their eco-consciousness. Gage was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation. For 2012 Earth Day, Gage collaborated with grocery stores and schools to have hundreds of students decorate paper bags with messages about sustainability. The bags were used to bag groceries on Earth Day.

Jared W.
Jared is 13 years old and is entering 7th grade. He loves being outside and in nature because it really helps him to feel relaxed and positive. He also loves spending his summers camping along a lake. Some of his hobbies are snowboarding, bogey boarding, basketball, lacrosse, guitar and just being adventurous. In school, he really enjoys math. Jared is hoping to lead his peers in finding a way to make sure there is no longer famine and starving people in our world and that we can do this in a clean, safe and sustainable way. Jared was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation. For 2012 Earth Day, Jared collaborated with grocery stores and schools to have hundreds of students decorate paper bags with messages about sustainability. The bags were used to bag groceries on Earth Day.

Katie S.

Kaylee L.
Kaylee is a junior in high school. She recently participated in jaguar research in the jungles of Belize. She plans to return as an intern to continue this work in the future. She loves nature, animals and music. She was selected as a leader for her competitive musical group known as Sound Unlimited. Kaylee wants to make a difference in the world through her involvement with groups such as the Kids Eco Club. Her dream is to go to college in New York and someday work to promote laws that protect people, animals and the environment. Kaylee was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Max G.
Max is twelve and the Founder of KidsEcoClub. He received a 2012 Earth Award from Earth Works for his work on behalf of a clean, healthy environment. Max is also an Ambassador to the San Diego Foundation’s 50-year strategic plan for the region and was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement." He is an activist, starting a Change.org petition to President Obama to ban the sale and distribution of shark fin products in the United States. The petition has support from the Birch Aquarium, Wild Aid, Deep Sea News and the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. His vision of a sustainable world is one in which our planet is clean and safe, with enough food, water and space for everyone, including animals and fish. His hobbies include collecting animal skulls from his many hikes in the Rocky Mountains. This interest was sparked by the discovery of a beaver skull on the roof of his home in Colorado. The beaver had been carried there and eaten by a Great Horned Owl. Max especially loves owls and has started a successful collaboration with the wood shop at Clairemont High in San Diego to build barn owl nesting boxes, which are given to public schools to raise awareness about owls. Max frequently speaks to students about the dangers of using poisons to control the rodent population due to the secondary kill rates among owls, hawks, foxes, coyotes and other animals. He wants you to know that a pair of nesting owls kills 2,000 rodents per year!

Milena C.
Milena is currently thirteen years old and a student in Southern California. Her vision of a sustainable earth is one in which there is public transportation available to people all over the world, and where people are educated on how to reduce waste consumption. She enjoys ice-skating, running in track-and-field, camping, hanging out with friends, rollerblading, playing piano, and reading. Lastly, she enjoys hanging with friends outside because it is fresh and a nice place to chill. She joined the KEC because she wants to make the world a better place and believes that through educating people, we all can work together and create a sustainable earth. Milena was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Nikolas K.
Nikolas is an eleven year old 6th grader. He has captured and tagged an endangered Morelet's crocodile and worked with a research team to better understand how the crocodiles can be saved. He is sharing this information with students and schools. His favorite subjects are art, math and science. He loves to fish, play computer games, go swimming and snowboarding. He wants to learn more about protecting sea animals and keeping the oceans clean. Nikolas thinks a healthy environment is important and believes that if people don't start to change their habits now, there will be negative consequences in the future. He has started an eco club at his school. Nikolas was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Olivia P.
Olivia is a 14 year old 10th grader in Southern California. She started an annual habitat clean-up of a lake in her community and has received support from community leaders and the public. Her favorite subjects in school are World Geography and Math. She is a very athletic and enjoys playing travel softball, swimming, and field hockey. Olivia’s love of nature started at a very young age while camping with her family on secluded beaches in Mexico. Seeing the beauty in the untouched beaches inspired Olivia to help restore and replenish nearby natural resources for future generations. Olivia was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Oscar C.
Oscar is a middle school student and the President of his school eco club. He organized an annual beach clean-up near his school and along with his club, taught hundreds of children how to make beautiful flowers from plastic water bottles at the 2012 Earth Day Fair. Oscar is well spoken and has been interviewed on television and in print for his thoughts on sustainability. His friends call him Russell because he is very kind like the character in the Disney movie UP. Oscar was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Raymond L.
Raymond is a 7th grade student in the Gate program of an urban school. He is President of the school’s student council. He is a competitive club basketball player and has been invited to numerous camps based upon his ability. His favorite subjects are math, history and science. He believes that each person should take daily steps to reduce energy consumption and that people should support local farms and produce. He is interested in building his leadership skills and learning ways in which to help sustain the planet’s resources. Raymond was recognized as an “Outstanding Ambassador for Civic Youth Engagement” by the San Diego Foundation.

Shelby M.
Shelby is a middle school student. She loves to garden and spend time at the beach. She is involved in student government and has a great sense of humor. Shelby is a natural leader and well-liked by all who know her.

Sophia H.
Sophia is a 14-year-old freshman at Amador Valley High School and resides in Northern California near the San Francisco bay with her family. She is a passionate leader in her community. From the time she was in fourth grade she has been motivated to learn about the world around her, specifically the environment. She has operated her very own website for nearly five years that focuses on environmental awareness and responsibility. A recipient of several awards for her citizenship and work in the community, she currently holds the position of youth adviser to the energy and environment committee under city council for her hometown, Pleasanton. Outside of environmental leadership, Sophia is a previous delegate to Model UN, in which she held the position of Deputy Secretary General. She is a current delegate of California YMCA’s Youth and Government. She has held leadership positions in school in previous years, as well. Sophia’s environmental passion is California’s emission standards and decreasing the overall pollution generated in the state. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, listening to music, public speaking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Spencer H.
Spencer is 9 years old. He is passionate about music and loves playing both the piano and saxophone. Spencer is also active with swimming, robotics and the Boy Scouts. Spencer has participated several scout sponsored community events including “Get to Know Your Fireman” day and neighborhood trash clean ups.” Spencer loves to travel and has been to 17 countries where he has learned about many cultures, environments and animals of the world. Spencer loves owls and has collected owl pellets and participated in many owl educational workshops at school including owl pellet dissection. Spencer has also spent time with Nature Guides learning about the endangered Big Horn Sheep in the Anza Borrego Desert. Spencer has a very kind heart and has joined the Kids Eco Club to gather fellow students to assist with Neighborhood cleanups and making music that can educate kids about ecology.