• View ecochildsplay’s profile on Facebook
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Twitter
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Instagram
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Pinterest
  • View Jennifer Lance’s profile on LinkedIn
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on YouTube
  • View ecochildsplay’s profile on Google+

Eco Child's Play

Live a greener, healthier life!

  • Environment
  • Pregnancy
  • Food & Recipes
  • Health News
  • Parenting
  • Green Toys
  • Beauty & Beauty Products
  • Green Home & Cleaning
  • Contact

Environmental Kid Crusaders: 12-Year-Old Protects Maui’s Coral Reefs

Photo:  Attribution Some rights reserved by belindah12-year-old boy works to save Hawaiian reef

12-year-old boy works to save Hawaiian reef

Sometimes the places we take our children to vacation allow them to more closely observe environmental changes than in our own backyards. Visiting a place year after year points out the differences that seem more gradual where you reside.

As a child, I visited Summit County, Colorado every winter. Over 30 years, I have seen this area devastated by mountain pine beetles and resort development. Unlike, Dylan Vecchione, my vacations did not spark environmental action.

12-year-old Dylan Vecchione has been visiting the Hawaiian island of Maui for five years.  He noticed “the coral at the Kahekili Reef wasn’t looking so good”, so  he began his own investigation and campaign.

Palisadian-Post reports:

Last summer, Vecchione and his father sailed around Maui and took pH samples of the water to determine if there was a pattern to areas that are more or less acidic. To their knowledge no one has tested the water away from shore.”

‘It is usually higher acidity, the closer you get to shore,’ Maurizio said, wondering if there was anything happening on shore that would justify that relationship. He noted that Maui has 15 county ‘injection’ wells. More than 14.6 million gallons of wastewater go into the sewer system, with about 11.4 million gallons reclaimed. The excess, which has solids and contaminants removed, is sent to injection wells that range in depth from 180 to 385 feet…

‘You can see that it is reef, then more reef, then bleached reef, and then the reef stops where the underground water comes out,’ Vecchione said.

Dylan has started his own website, written and distributed brochures, and had his surveys of  Kahekili Reef included in the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) global Coral Watch database.  His work is supported by “over 6,000 people from 23 countries”.

On his website ReefQuest, Dylan explains is experience:

Hi, my name is Dylan and I am 12 years old. I first fell in love with Coral Reefswhen I was given the opportunity to dive on the Kehikili Reef in Maui, Hawaii. I got to witness first-hand the incredible biodiversity that Coral Reefs contain. Occupying less than 1% of the world’s oceans, Coral Reefs host 25% of allmarine life. Over the years, returning to that reef I noticed negative changes on the reef due to environmental stresses. I was dismayed to learn that coral reefs are dying all over the world. If that were to happen it would be an ecological catastrophe as reefs’ ecosystems are deeply linked to the rest of the ocean.

I decided to do something about it! I founded ReefQuest to tell the story of Kahekili Reef, and model for kids everywhere actions they can each take to help marine habitats near them.

Dylan is truly inspiration to everyone that cares about the environment, no matter their age!

Via:  Surfrider

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Pinterest
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • More
  • WhatsApp
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe!

« Hank D and the Bee: Gray Hair = Green Mind
5 Top Green Parent Posts: Hershey & Child Labor, ADHD & Diet, Increased Sedentary Behavior Before Adolescence, Russian Baby Swinger, Evil Disney Princesses »

Trackbacks

  1. Tweets that mention Environmental Kid Crusaders: 12-Year-Old Protects Maui’s Coral Reefs -- Topsy.com says:
    January 21, 2011 at 4:29 am

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ecochildsplay, ITE UCAM. ITE UCAM said: RT @DianeN56 Environmental Kid Crusaders: 12-Year-Old Protects Maui's Coral Reefs: http://bit.ly/gglg06 […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Search Content

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter


About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

Contact Eco Child’s Play

Plants Over Plastics! Repurpose Compostable Home Products

Convenient Plastic Container Free Dropps Laundry & Dishwashing Pods

More from the archives!

10 Years of Facebook: Has social media changed your life for the good?

Household Products To Get Ingredient Labeling

Positive Environmental Role Models for Children: Severn Cullis-Suzuki Silenced the UN with Speech on Climate Change

Green Children’s Books: The Wild Weather Book

Mothers Who do not Breastfeed 50% More Likely to Develop Type 2 Diabetes

cbd salve joy organics

CBD Products that Actually Deliver: Joy Organics

wama hemp underwear

The Most Comfortable Underwear is Made of Hemp: WAMA Review

Information

  • About & Contact
  • Archive
  • Blog
  • Consulting Services
  • Disclaimer, Disclosure, & Sponsored Posts
  • Privacy Policy

Search for Wooden Toys on Ebay

Attachment Parenting – Attached at the Heart: 8 Proven Parenting Principles for Raising Connected and Compassionate Children

Prevent the Stomach Flu: Close the Toilet Lid

Low Impact Birthday Party

Waldorf Kathe Kruse Mermaid Doll

Popular Categories

  • Breastfeeding
  • Health News
  • Natural Childbirth
  • Parenting
  • Education
  • Product Review
  • Green Toys

Get our posts via email

Please stay in touch!

You might also like to read…

The Pros and Cons of Owning an Environmentally Friendly Car

European Toys: Old Fashioned Block Play Develops Intellect

Works For Me Wednesday: Safe, Natural, CHEAP Cleaning

Green Gifts from VivaTerra: Recycled Wine Decanter

Win a Free Pair of ScooterBees Eco-Friendly Baby Shoes

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.