Not Your Average Backcountry Camping Trip

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Is that because everyone's required to wear formal dress? Well, actually not... It's more the fact that the participants pictured above are all past winners of the Earth Island Institute's Brower Youth Awards that includes a backcountry trip, a week in San Francisco for the award ceremony, and a $3000 cash prize. It's an award given yearly to youth who show leadership, creativity, and a passion for protecting the environment that has led to outstanding results in their own corner of the world. And I think it's also worth pointing out that the deadline to nominate someone for this years award is right around the corner on May 15th.

So what type of candidate would make a great nominee for this years award? Well how about someone like 16-year old Jessica Assaf from California, who was so disturbed by the realization that many personal care products contain chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive ailments that she teamed up with the Safe Cosmetics Campaign to create “Operation Beauty Drop,” during which large bins where teens could dispose of toxic healthcare products were displayed in public malls. She then went on with four of her friends to successfully lobby senators and the governor’s office to pass a bill requiring cosmetics manufacturers to inform the Dept. of Health Services if their products contain carcinogens or other toxic substances. She clearly produced inspiring and tangible results that few people achieve in their lifetime, and she was on last years list of winners for a Brower Youth award.

I'm virtually certain that out there in TreeHuggerville there are those of us who know someone who's stepped up to the plate in a big way to protect the environment that we all share... So if you think you've got a potential candidate then head over to Earth Island's website to nominate your favorite youth environmentalist for a Brower Award today, because they just may have made a difference that deserves this award!