HQ Team
October 7, 2022: Four Indian student are among sixteen young environmental activists to receive the 2022 International Young Eco-Hero Award. This award honors youth aged 8 to 16 who come up with innovative solutions to solve tough environmental problems.
The award, given by Action For Nature, was launched in 2003 to reconize eco worries. A panel of independent judges, including experts in environmental science, biology, and education have till date chosen more than 341 Eco-Heroes from over 31 countries and 26 U.S. states. Action for Nature is an international non-profit organization that encourages young people to nurture the Earth and to take personal action to improve the environment.
The Indian eco-warriors for this year incldue:
Prasiddhi Singh, a 9 year-old from Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, who won the First Prize in the 8-12 year-old category for her project, “Prasiddhi Forest Foundation.” She has created her own forest organization that has planted more than 75,000 trees, created 21 fruit forests, and three community nurseries that can house 25,000 saplings. The Prasiddhi Forest Foundation has the ambitious goal of planting 100,000 acres of trees by the end of 2022. For more about the Prasiddhi’s project, visit prasiddhiforest.org.
Vinisha Umashankar, a 15 year-old from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, won First Prize ifor her project, “Solar Ironing Cart.” Charcoal-operated ironing carts are common in African and Asian countries. Vinisha decided to take advantage of India’s abundance of sunshine and designed a solar-powered ironing cart to reduce pollution, save trees and be more cost effective. The carts will be soon under production and will be introduced in Tiruvannamalai first and then will be available nationwide soon. For more information visit linkedin.com/in/vinisha-umashankar-tamilnadu-india.
Adhi Daiv, a 15 year-old from Gurugram, Haryana, won Second Place in the 13-16 year-old category for his project, “Urvara.” Adhi Daiv’s project addresses water shortage in desert areas like Rajasthan. He involved the locals in his Urvara Initiative, a special method to take advantage of the monsoon season for irrigation. In this irrigation method, a sapling tree is inserted into a deep hole filled with one liter of water. As the climate turns dry, the tree’s roots stretch down into the aquifer, allowing the tree to grow. The aquifer naturally replenishes when the next monsoon season arrives. The project’s pilot phase had great success with a 95% tree survival rate and has saved approximately 725,000 liters of water. For more information about Adhi’s project, visit vande-urvara.org.
Sparsh, a 16 year-old from Patna, Bihar, won an Honorable Mention in the 13-16 year-old category for his project, “Thermal Floater.” His Thermal Floater device efficiently converts thermal energy from the sun into electrical energy using a complex yet small mechanical system that can generate up to 10 kWh of electricity per day. For more information about Sparsh’s project, visit thermal-floater.github.io.
Acton for Nature, Environment
“Young people have shown that the next generation of leaders is here, and they are taking action across the globe now to address the climate crisis and solve local, national, and global environmental challenges,” said Beryl Kay, President of Action For Nature. “The projects that these young people have created are having real and important impacts on their communities, helping to solve global climate challenges, and are inspiring others – including adults – to do what they can to help.”