Annual Newsletter - Winter 2008

NEWS OF ECO-HERO ALUMNI – "Rising Leaders"
Our Eco-Heroes continue their amazing activities. It is impossible to include all their news here, but summarized below are some of their achievements and endeavors.

Chanelle Adams (Connecticut USA, 2006) presented a work shop at the TUNZA (UN) conference in Germany, continues to give radio and TV interviews, has organized another clean-up campaign in Hartford, CT, and is working on reforesting at a local rundown park.

Anjali Chandrashekar (India, 2007) has been selected as a finalist in the "Say No to Shark Fins" competition organized by Celebrate the Seas 2007 Ocean Environment, Australia.

Evan Green (California, USA 2006) and his Red Dragon Team raised funds again this year to save Costa Rica rainforest acreage. He was featured in National Geographic Kids June/July 2007 issue.

Kristiana Henderson (Washington, USA, 2006) competed on the popular TV show Jeopardy! where she spoke about the school environmental club she is spearheading. With 40 members now, the club is working on several environmental projects as well as petitioning local mayors to sign the Kyoto Protocol.

Caroline Hodge (California, USA 2007) has persuaded her school to use biocompostable products at its annual homecoming BBQ. These, along with food waste, will be processed at a local compost facility. Tap rather than bottled water will be served.

David Marash-Whitman (California, USA, 2005) has broadened his advocacy work in recent years and has lobbied in Washington D.C. quite a few times.

Tayler McGillis (Ilinois, USA, 2005) is mentioned on the web site of Co-Op America and in their Getting to Zero Waste magazine. He has now collected more than 20,000 aluminum cans and from the proceeds has donated over $12,000 to local charities.

Brian Meersma (New Jersey, 2007) has persuaded 125 customers of a local supermarket to use cloth rather than plastic bags. With each bag, he distributes a flyer informing people of the negative impact of plastic bags on the environment.

Adam Meyer (North Carolina, USA 2005) is heading up the Richland Initiative to preserve and protect the Richland Natural Area by educating citizens about its natural and recreational assets.

Garrett Rappazzo (New York, 2007) and his sister are working on "Students for Literacy," a project they formed two years ago with a goal of wiping out illiteracy in the world. They have collected over 7,000 textbooks and 100 computers to start a new library at a girls secondary school in Awkuzu, Nigeria.

Chanelle Adams, Dara Shore and James Quadrino (all 2006) attended a special event at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, NY, "Every Child a Hero" at the invitation of Rescue a Million.

Gabriela Delgado and Chanelle Adams (both 2006) are to be featured in a children's educational book "Earth Matters," to be published in the US by Simon & Schuster.

Board member Seth Bramble made presentations about AFN at conferences of the California Teachers Association in California. Teachers learned about the Eco-Hero program and our book, Acting for Nature.