President Bush Honors 36 Young Environmentalists

Locke has taken her program to more than 30 schools, community events and environmental workshops and recruited other students and city staff to help with her work. She plans on continuing her work in the environmental field after college.

Locke is one of a group of 36 students from across the country who received the President's Environmental Youth Award today for helping to protect local environments and promote environmental awareness. Sponsored and administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, these awards have been presented annually since 1971 to honor students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

President Bush told the students gathered in the Rose Garden, "You set a great example for people around the country and you set a great example for the government - we're focused on conserving and protecting our environment."

President George W. Bush addresses recipients of the President's Environmental Youth Awards during a ceremony today in the Rose Garden of the White House. (Photo by Shealah Craighead courtesy The White House)

This year's award winners come from Milton, Massachusetts; Forest Hills, New York; Arlington, Virginia; Huntingdon, Tennessee; Arlington Heights, Illinois; Pasadena, Texas; Reed Spring, Michigan; Helena, Montana; Riverside, California; and Redmond, Washington.

"Bianca and this year's other President's Environmental Youth Award winners show that environmental champions come in all ages," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard Greene, who attended the White House ceremony along with all 10 EPA regional administrators. "It is inspiring to see such talented young people taking an active interest in the world around them and doing good things to protect its natural resources."

Middle school students from Helena were recognized by the president for their 2007 EARTH Action project, designed to raise awareness of environmental issues in Montana.

Initially, 220 students participated in developing the projects for the EARTH Action event, where information was shared with nearly 1,000 participants. Students worked on 28 environmental issues and topics, including building a model hydrogen car, and developing material on biodiesel fuels, recycling, solar power, and the impact of four-wheelers on the wilderness.

Agencies in Montana supported the projects and helped the students with equipment and advice. The U.S. Geological Survey lent global positioning system units for students to use to find noxious weeds, and so the Weed Awareness and Eradication group was able to eliminate noxious weeds on 30 acres of forest land in the Helena National Forest.

"It seems that Helena is a hotbed for young environmental leaders," said Wendy Dew, the EPA's environmental education coordinator. "While most students take on one or two topics for environmental projects, these kids took on a whole slate of issues and produced high-quality outreach products and projects that are actually making an impact on the environment.

President Bush also presented an award to 10 sixth graders from the HB Woodlawn School in Arlington, Virginia for organizing a community recycling collection that netted more than 450 electronic products including cell phones and computer equipment. The students were credited for raising awareness about properly recycling electronics waste to prevent pollution.

Students from New York collected used books that would have ended up in landfills and donated them to schools and nursing homes and homeless shelters.

Students from Massachusetts worked with local fishermen to switch from using lead weights to using substances that do not have the potential to poison local birds.

Students from Tennessee led members of their community to switch to more energy-efficient light bulbs. And students from Washington state worked with their school district to encourage teachers to reduce their energy use in the classroom, saving the district more than half a million dollars.

To choose the awardees, regional EPA panels judge nominated youth projects on environmental need, accomplishments of goals, long-term environmental benefits and positive impact on local communities. The panels consider project design, coordination, implementation, innovation and soundness of approach. Each of the EPA's 10 regional offices then selects a winner or group of winners.

Locke told her local newspaper, "The Pasedena Citizen," that she is thankful to President Bush for recognizing young environmentalists who work hard in their communities.

"To fix the problems that have been brought to light in recent years," she said, "we have to start with our youth, because that is where it will end. When your child comes up to you with shining eyes to tell you that they learned about taking care of the environment, listen. Make a point of teaching them small things that can make a big difference, like taking short showers or fixing leaks. And please don't just mention it once, do it."

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