Scarlett’s Superstars: Asha and Jia Kirkpatrick

By Anne Cissel

Kids like you can make a difference for wildlife and the environment. Meet some inspiring young heroes who have turned their love of animals into action! 

 

 

photo by David Kirkpatrick

Asha and Jia Kirkpatrick, Orangutan S.O.S.

Orangutans and breakfast cereal. How could the two possibly be connected? By a kind of oil made from the fruits of palm trees!

Palm oil is used in thousands of everyday products, from toothpaste to margarine to cereal. Sadly, people have cut down thousands of acres of tropical rainforests to make way for huge plantations (farms) of palm oil trees. This destroys habitat for many creatures, including the endangered orangutan—a large ape.

Two sisters in England, Asha (12) and Jia (10) Kirkpatrick, watched a news show about this threat to orangutans. They found out that a large cereal company still uses palm oil from the plantations that destroyed rainforests. The girls started an online petition asking the company to stop doing business with these plantations.

They got over 805,000 signatures! The company heard about the petition and decided to act. The company promised that, by 2025, it will buy 100% of its palm oil from suppliers that do not harm the environment. Victory for the orangutans!

Meet more kid superstars!

 

Do you have a story to share about helping wildlife and the environment? Email us at buzz@nwf.org. We love hearing everyone’s stories, but we are able to feature only a few of them. All submissions become the property of the National Wildlife Federation.

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