Climate Action
EDN Student Spotlight: Lucie Parsons
December 13, 2018
By Tracey Ritchie, Director of Education
Lucie Parsons is your typical nine-year-old. She lives with her mom, dad, and young brothers in Hull, England. She goes to school, she likes to read and write stories, she plays sports, and she is involved with her Girl Scouts group.
Then, one day she was watching the documentary “Blue Planet” and was moved by the scene with the whales. Much like the jarring image of the sea turtle having a straw removed from its nose, the images of a mother whale mourning the loss of her calf is something not easily forgotten. While the exact cause of the calf’s death is unknown, the subsequent images portrayed a habitat riddled with pollution and vast amounts of plastic litter.
Lucie knew she wanted to take action so this wouldn’t happen again, and she wanted to help other marine life in the ocean. And she did!
She coordinated friends, family, and classmates to do beach clean-ups near her hometown. She started to talk to people about the issue of plastic pollution and bring more awareness to the issue.
As a Young Research Advisor with the National Children’s Bureau, she has worked to bring more attention to environmental issues. She was even asked to speak at the European Union of Aquarium Curators Conference.
Lucie’s enthusiasm, commitment, and motivation are highly contagious. She proves that individual actions add up to a lot and that you are never too young to stand up for what you believe in. She is a true environmental hero and we are so thankful for all that she does to bring awareness and action to the issues of plastic pollution, conservation, and climate change.
When asked what she wants to be when she gets older, she said with confidence — and without a second of hesitation — “Prime Minister.” And I have no doubt that Lucie will be the most successful and environmentally responsible Prime Minister in history.
You can follow Lucie’s adventures on her Twitter account, @LucieParsons08, and join us in thanking her for her work!
About EDN’s Spotlight feature: We are always excited to hear about the actions of teachers and students to address environmental issues. After all, we are counting on the next generation of environmental leaders to help us with our work for years to come! While it wouldn’t be possible to feature every good example, we are taking time to shine a spotlight on select projects and to share environmental education stories with the hope of inspiring others to replicate these efforts in their own communities. Do you know a young environmental hero? You can share your education stories for consideration by emailing us at [email protected] and/or tagging us in photos on social media and using the #EDNEducation hashtag.
About EDN’s Spotlight feature: We are always excited to hear about the actions of teachers and students to address environmental issues. After all, we are counting on the next generation of environmental leaders to help us with our work for years to come! While it wouldn’t be possible to feature every good example, we are taking time to shine a spotlight on select projects and to share environmental education stories with the hope of inspiring others to replicate these efforts in their own communities. Do you know a young environmental hero? You can share your education stories for consideration by emailing us at [email protected] and/or tagging us in photos on social media and using the #EDNEducation hashtag.
