Teen projects awarded for impact on environment and community

New York – Dec. 19, 2012 – The Wildlife Conservation Society has announced the winners of the 2012 Teens for Planet Earth Community Project Awards.

The winners were chosen for the benefit and impact their projects had on the environment and community. Winners received certificates and are highlighted on the Teens for Planet Earth homepage www.teensforplanetearth.org. Gold and silver level winners receive a monetary prize to help sustain their projects courtesy of WCS Education and Audubon/Toyota’s TogetherGreen Program.

The International Gold prize was awarded to Anjali Chandrashekar of India for “Picture It” – a project that combines art and activism to raise awareness and funds for ­key environmental issues. The idea eliminates barriers of language and literacy to convey messages of environmental importance.

The National Gold was awarded to Casey Sokolovic of Winterville, NC for “Upstream Downstream Connection” – a hands-on environmental- and aquatic-based summer camp program for 90 local at-risk youths (ages 8-16 years) in collaboration with the local Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

The Wildlife Conservation Society congratulates the following awardees:

Category: International

Award: Gold

Team Leader: Anjali Chandrashekar, India

Project Name: Picture It

Description: Creating environmental and social change around the world through art and community outreach

Category: International

Award: Silver

Team Leader: Elukpe Victor, Ghana

Project Name: Kubiti Teak Plantation

Description: Helping the forest ecosystem and supporting community livelihood by raising teak

Category: National (U.S.)

Award: Gold

Team Leader: Casey Sokolovic, Winterville, NC

Project Name: Upstream Downstream Connection

Description: LAST – Love a Sea Turtle and creating STEM camps for underprivileged students

Category: National (U.S.)

Award: Silver

Team Leader: Eli Parker, Chapel Hill, NC

Project Name: Parker’s Patrol

Description: Restoring trails and interpretation in Cedar Falls Park

Category: National (U.S.)

Award: Bronze

Team Leader: Max Kesselman, Lafayette Hill, PA

Project Name: Max’s Mission

Description: Community park and beach clean-ups

Teens for Planet Earth is an international program designed to engage teens in science. Through the social networking website, www.TeensForPlanetEarth.org, teens around the world can learn more about conservation, participate in local projects, and learn how to create community conservation projects to make positive changes in their local communities.

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild places worldwide. We do so through science, global conservation, education and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks, led by the flagship Bronx Zoo. Together these activities change attitudes towards nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in harmony. WCS is committed to this mission because it is essential to the integrity of life on earth.

If you would like to guide your readers or viewers to a web link where they can make donations in support of helping save wildlife and wild places, please direct them to: www.wcs.org.

CONTACT:

Max Pulsinelli: (o) 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

Steve Fairchild: (o) 718-220-5189; sfairchild@wcs.org