Every year since 2003, Action For Nature (AFN), a US-based non-profit, has recognised young people aged eight to 16 who are taking important steps to solve tough environmental problems.
Youth from countries around the world send in their stories and explain their work. A panel of judges, including experts in environmental science, biology and education, determines the year’s winners.
Olivia Taylor, age 15, a student at Durban Girls’ College, is a winner of Action For Nature’s 2012 International Young Eco-Hero Award. Taylor was honoured for fundraising to save South Africa’s Bearded Vultures.
Olivia has raised over R70 000, as well as creating two high-quality websites in order to save the endangered bearded vultures (www.beardedvulture.org) and launch her new conservation venture, Four Elements Conservation (www.fourelementsconservation.org).
It was after discovering Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Bearded Vulture Project when she was 11 years old that Olivia was first inspired to raise funds to track the lives of these precious birds.
Raising funds is not an easy task, as she soon found out. Olivia eventually approached a number of corporate donors and she presented to their senior executives to secure their financial support. It took time and hard work, but Olivia exceeded everyone’s expectations.
Donors to the project include Marriott, Shepstone and Wylie, Suncoast Casino, Turkuazoo Akvaryum (Istanbul), Taylor and Finlay, Aspen and Allan Mundell.
It was intimidating and there were some people who didn’t care about the birds, but Olivia “was able to overcome these obstacles because making a difference to the environment is more important than being scared and not making an effort”.
Four Elements is Olivia’s new venture that focuses on preserving the diminishing populations of bearded vultures, rhinos and sharks, and encouraging passion in young people to make a difference in South Africa.
To this end, Olivia recently incorporated a non-profit company of which she is the CEO. Her first venture will be to attempt to summit Kilimanjaro in late June to raise awareness and funding for the preservation of bearded vultures, rhinos and sharks.
She has so far secured the support of Sea Shepherd, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Bearded Vulture Project and Shark Angels.
In July she will be meeting leading conservationists in the UK.