Planet Protectors

As his hometown of Ojai, California, kept suffering  frequent droughts, Tigran Nahabedian knew he had to do something. He co-founded the Ventura River Watershed Youth Coalition to help protect the region’s water. 

“Our watershed provides all our community’s water,” says Tigran. “Lake Casitas, our reservoir, hit record lows in recent years. This caused many hardships.”

Recent rains have eased drought concerns in the region for now. But Tigran knows his efforts must continue because conditions can change. 

“We should treat all resources as precious,” he says. 

Tigran Nahabedian’s hometown is Ojai, California. Ojai had frequent droughts. Tigran felt like he had to do something. He co-founded the Ventura River Watershed Youth Coalition. The coalition helps protect the region’s water.

“Our watershed provides all our community’s water,” says Tigran.

“Lake Casitas, our reservoir, hit record lows in recent years. This caused many hardships.”

Recently, rain has fallen in the region. The rain helped ease the problems created by the drought. But Tigran knows his work must continue. Conditions can always change.

“We should treat all resources as precious,” he says.

Three years ago, Alex Weber was diving off the coast of Northern California with her father when she spotted something strange. Thousands of golf balls littered the ocean floor. “There were so many, I couldn’t see the sand,” she says. 

Many golf courses line the coast of the Monterey Bay area, where she lives. So Alex, her dad, and some friends started doing regular dives to remove the golf balls from the water. Alex also teamed up with a scientist at a local university to investigate the effects of the plastic pollution on the environment. 

Over two years, Alex and her family and friends collected more than 50,000 golf balls! 

Alex Weber went diving with her father three years ago. They dove off the coast of Northern California. There, she spotted something strange. Thousands of golf balls blanketed the ocean floor. “There were so many. I couldn’t see the sand,” she says.

Many golf courses line the coast of the Monterey Bay area. That’s where Alex lives. Alex started diving regularly with her dad and some family friends. They removed the golf balls from the water. Alex also teamed up with a scientist at a local university. Together, they investigated the effects of the plastic pollution on the environment.

Alex and her team collected more than 50,000 golf balls in just two years!

In 2013, floods devastated the area around Haridwar in northern India, where Ridhima Pandey lives. She asked her dad a lot of questions about why this was happening. Her father, a wildlife conservationist, told her about pollution and the way the climate has been changing in their region.

Ridhima felt like the government leaders in her area had let her down. She wants leaders to enforce laws that protect forests and limit air pollution. “I want to save my future,” says Ridhima. She’s suing the government of India for failing to take steps to address climate change.

Floods devastated the area around Haridwar in northern India in 2013. That’s where Ridhima Pandey lives. She asked her dad a lot of questions about the floods. She wanted to know why this was happening. Her father is a wildlife conservationist. He told her about pollution. He explained how the climate was changing in their region.

Ridhima felt like the government leaders in her area let her down. She wants leaders to enforce laws that protect forests. She also wants them to enforce laws that limit air pollution. “I want to save my future,” says Ridhima. She’s suing the Indian government for not taking steps to help reduce climate change.