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! 

Madhvi Chittoor, Madhvi 4 EcoEthics

Madhvi Chittoor, 9, was just 5 years old when she learned how harmful plastic trash is to wildlife. By age 7, she’d written and published a book about plastic pollution. She had also founded Madhvi 4 EcoEthics, which works to reduce pollution from Styrofoam and other plastics.

Madhvi knew that Styrofoam is one of the worst kinds of plastic. So she worked for months to convince her Denver-area school district to switch from Styrofoam lunch trays to ones that are not harmful to the environment. This kept 7.6 million Styrofoam trays from going to the landfill each year!

Next, Madhvi convinced lawmakers to propose a statewide ban on Styrofoam take-out containers and single-use plastics in restaurants and grocery stores. And now she’s working for a global ban on plastics and harmful chemicals with a petition at madhvi4ee.com. No wonder Madhvi, who has a black belt in Taekwondo, likes to call herself the “No Styrofoam Ninja”!

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.