Today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders and Planet Fuel is committed to inspiring kids to help protect our planet, now and in the future. When you join the Planet Fuel Planet Protectors, we’ll send you information to help you make smart environmental choices and understand the issues affecting the environment. We’ll also provide some great ideas for projects that you can do around the house to make an impact right in your backyard… literally!
Meet the Planet Fuel Planet Protectors
There are a ton of little things that everyone can do at home and at school to help save the environment. And, if everyone did them, we could make a HUGE impact together.
Wilderness Will
Flavor: Organic Apple Grape
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Hobbies: Hiking, planting trees and composting
Passion: Saving the wilderness
Favorite Fact: The world’s tallest tree is the Mendocino, a coastal redwood near Ukiah, California. It is 367-foot 6 inches tall, or five stories higher than the Statue of Liberty
Why I Love The Wilderness
When my friends ask me why I love the wilderness so much, I usually start by telling them that nearly 1/3 of the U.S. is covered with forest — which means about 747 million acres. Huge, right? Then I tell them that trees act like a natural filter, protecting us from air and water pollution, so they are important for our health too. But what really gets me excited is telling my friends about all the cool animals that live in forests like bear, wolves, owls, bobcat and even mountain lions! In the northwest, where I live, we have trees that grow over 300 feet tall (about the size of a football field) and live for hundreds of years. Despite their incredible beauty, many of these enormous trees are threatened by excessive logging. By recycling our paper and buying paper products that are made with “post-consumer content” we reduce the need to cut more trees. It’s like a whole other world in the wilderness and we hope its still in tact for future generations to enjoy!
Being a Planet Protector for the Wilderness
People often ask me how they can get involved in the exciting world of the wilderness. Naturally, the best thing to do is discover the forests for yourself. You can hike, bike, raft, visit a National Park or National Forest, or go camping with your family. See how much fun you can have with no tv, video games or internet! Not only do our forests keep our air and water clean, but they provide us with great opportunities for recreation and solitude – a chance to connect with nature. And because they’re a neighborhood for a whole other community of animals, insects, and plants, we have to lookout for them. Check out some of the links we’ve included or find your own sites to read more about the value of wilderness. People usually want to protect places that they know and love. Consider creating a project with your school, Girl or Boy Scout troop, church, temple, mosque, or just start a group yourself. Maybe you want to volunteer? Be your own leader, take charge and believe that what you do matters. You’re already on your way, Planet Protector, so keep going!
Ocean Olivia
Flavor: Organic Cherry Lemonade
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
Hobbies: Whale watching, swimming, surfing, and hanging out with my twin brother (most of the time).
Passion: Saving the oceans
Favorite Fact: The largest living structure on earth is the Great Barrier Reef, measuring 1,243 miles. It’s so big, it can be seen from the Moon.
Why I Love The Oceans
Hi, I’m Ocean Olivia. When I started learning about all five oceans, I couldn’t believe how much they impacted our daily lives. Did you know that over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans? Not only are these oceans home to some of my favorite animals (like whales, sharks and turtles) but they affect our earth’s weather and temperature. Plus, I think it is so cool that we are the only planet in our solar system that has liquid water!
Being a Planet Protector for the Oceans
My friends often ask me, “Olivia, how can just one person make an impact saving our oceans?” To that, I tell them that every little bit you do matters. Millions of fish, birds and sea creatures are killed or entangled in trash that ends up in our oceans, most commonly plastic bags, balloons and fishing line. Every time you pick up a piece of litter on a beach it matters to at least one animal. Plus, if you do it, other people will follow. People inspire people. And when they see you doing something that’s rewarding, they’re likely to do it too.
Oceans sustain life on Earth. They are the life-blood of our very existence. And that means we have to move fast and with great force to make sure we do our part. First thing you can do is get educated. Learn more about what’s threatening our oceans and how you can get involved. Check out some of the links we’ve included or find your own sites to read more about our amazing oceans. Volunteer with a local group or consider starting your own project to educate others or raise money. Be your own leader, take charge and believe that what you do matters. You’re already on your way, Planet Protector, so keep going!
Desert Dan
Flavor: Coming SOON!
Hometown: Tucson, AZ
Hobbies: Mountain climbing, hiking, camping, and playing guitar
Passion: Protecting the deserts
Favorite Fact: Next to rainforests, deserts have the most diverse amount of plant and animal life.
Why I Love The Deserts
What’s up Planet Protectors! Out here in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, it get can get as hot as 113º F/ 45º C and as low as 32ºF/ 0ºC. And that’s true for most deserts—so bring your sunscreen and definitely a heavy winter coat. With over 33% of the Earth’s surface covered by desert, there are a lot of places to choose from. Once here, you’ll find a very dry world where it barely ever rains. But watch out, ‘cause when it does, it’s usually violent thunderstorms that can cause massive flash floods. On average though, deserts receive less than 10 inches of rain a year—yeah, pretty dry. In northern America alone, there are four main deserts: the Mojave, Great Basin, Chihuahuan, and Sonoran Deserts, but the largest of them all is the Sahara Desert in northern Africa at nearly 3.2 million miles!
Deserts are cool (no pun intended) because they provide the planet with rich fossil minerals like oil, gold, copper, iron, uranium, and natural gas. But we have to be careful in harvesting these natural resources because deserts provide a habitat for some of the world’s most important plants and animals. From the jackrabbit and side winder snake to various grasses, cacti, and low-lying vegetation, deserts have a lot in common with the Arctic—except for that whole super hot thing. By protecting it, we help maintain the delicate balance of our planet’s weather systems and migration patterns.
Being a Planet Protector for the Deserts
I love talking to Planet Protectors about our world’s deserts because they’re a huge part of our history. From the ancient pyramids of Egypt and modern-day scientific research, these seemingly infinite regions hold tons of information and secrets about civilizations before us. But too much human exploration of these natural wonders are threatening the valuable life and history that live here. By taking tours and experiencing deserts for yourself, you can get some pretty cool ideas on how to help protect our world’s deserts. Check out some of the links we’ve included or find your own sites to read more about the value of deserts. Consider creating a project to teach others about the desert, or ask you teacher to include some of what you’ve learned in the classroom. Be your own leader, take charge and believe that what you do matters. You’re already on your way, Planet Protector, so keep going!
Rainforest Rita
Flavor: Coming SOON!
Hometown: Lima, Peru
Hobbies: Rock climbing, poetry and listening to the music of nature
Passion: Saving the Rainforests
Favorite Fact: More than 20% of the world’s oxygen is produced in the Amazon rainforest which is why it’s called the “Lungs of our Planet”.
Why I Love The Rainforests
¡Hola, Protectores del Planetas! That means, “Hi, Planet Protectors!” in Spanish. To experience our rainforests is to experience the natural and pure magic of our planet. With up to 80 inches of rainfall a year, these lushly green rainforests are home to more than half of the world’s 10 million species of plants, animals, and insects! Better yet, there’s even millions more to be discovered! Plus, the number of fish species found in the Amazon is bigger than the number of fish found in the entire Atlantic Ocean. Join me for a hike in the forests and we might see toucans, parrots, chameleons, snakes, spider monkeys and leopards, all in one morning!
Rainforests are considered the most important ecosystem on the planet and not just because of the clear air these trees produce. Thousands of medicines come from here. And more than that, over 80% of what we eat comes from the rainforest. From bananas, avocados, figs, oranges, corn and potatoes to coffee, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and my personal favorite—chocolate, rainforests power the planet in so many different ways. No wonder they’ve been called the “jewels of the Earth.”
Being a Planet Protector for the Rain Forest
A world without rainforests could put the planet in severe danger. Due to heavy logging, hunting, and clearing, many of my favorite plants and animals are endangered and even some have gone extinct. It’s gotten so bad, the harm done to rainforests have been called a national—and international emergency. We need to make sure we do our part. Every time you recycle your paper and buy paper made from recycled content you support efforts to stop cutting these ancient trees. Check out some of the links we’ve included or find your own sites to read more about rainforests all over the world. Consider creating a project with your family, neighbors or friends, or just start a group yourself. Be your own leader, take charge and believe that what you do matters. You’re already on your way, Planet Protector, so keep going!
Serengeti Sam
Flavor: Coming in 2011
Hometown: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Hobbies: Bird watching, playing football (American soccer) and hanging out with my twin sister, Olivia (most of the time)
Passion: The animals of the Serengeti
Favorite Fact: I love Cheetahs! Did you know they are the fastest land animals with a speed of up to 71 miles per hour? And, unlike other big cats, Cheetah’s cannot roar but they do PURR, just like domestic cats.
Why I Love The Serengeti
Despite the magic of the Serengeti, I wouldn’t be surprised if many of you have never heard of this place. One of the oldest ecosystems on earth, not much has changed in this landscape in the past million years! Set in eastern Africa, the Serengeti covers a huge swath of land in both Tanzania and Kenya and includes everything from volcanos to deep forests to open plains. The native Maasai people named it “Siringitu – the place where the land moves on forever.”
My favorite part of the Serengeti is the remarkable wildlife. Where else on earth can you see wildebeest, zebra, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas, lions, gazelles, alligators and over 500 species of birds! The migration of over a million wildebeests and a few hundred thousand zebras in search of fresh water goes on all year long. It is an astonishing and humbling sight - much like what you might have seen in the movie The Lion King.
Being a Planet Protector for the Serengeti
Well, I realize that it’s not easy for everyone to come visit me here in the Serengeti - although thanks to the internet it can feel a whole lot closer. Check out the links for the best sites to watch amazing footage of cheetahs, elephants and the wildebeest migration and I’m pretty sure you’ll fall in love like I did. I hope you will get inspired to protect this awesome place to make sure that we will always have a place where “the land moves on forever”. Spreading your passion is part of being a Planet Protector. Check out some of the links we’ve included or find your own sites to read more about the value of the Serengeti. Consider creating a project with your school, Girl or Boy Scout troop, neighbors, friends or just start a group yourself. Be your own leader, take charge and believe that what you do matters. You’re already on your way, Planet Protector, so keep going!
Arctic Annie
Flavor: Coming in 2011
Hometown: Akureyri, Iceland
Hobbies: Seal watching, sledding, hiking, and drawing
Passion: Saving the Arctic
Favorite Fact: During the summer, the northern slope of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to millions of birds, many of whom have flown in from around the world. Migrating birds from Asian, Africa, Antarctica and North and South America are known to use this remote, unique land to nest, raise their young and stop over on their migrations around the world. Can you imagine a small bird flying this far?
Why I Love The Arctic
Góðan daggin! That means “Good day” in Icelandic. Where I grew up, in Akureyri, Iceland, I’m a part of an exciting ecosystem called the arctic tundra, where you can see never-ending sky, vast ice-covered oceans, endless stretches of land, mammoth mountains, great volcanoes, and even 24-hour days and 24-hour nights—which sometimes gets a little confusing. No trees can grow here because as you move closer to the North Pole, the days get shorter, with little sun giving plants energy to grow. We do have mosses, lichens, herbs, and some shrubs, but everything stays pretty low to the ground. Animals like arctic fox, caribou, and polar bears call the land home, while seals and walruses can be found both on land and in water. Whenever my friends and I go hiking, we always look for seals. They’re so cute. And we LOVE polar bears, but you’d rather not see one up close.
Maybe some of you have heard of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of America’s great national treasures. Like many other arctic regions, this area is under threat because of a push to drill for oil under these very sensitive lands. We know that oil and arctic preservation don’t mix, so you can help support initiatives that would reduce our need for more oil, like pushing for better gas mileage for our cars, carpooling whenever you can and reducing the use of plastics in our environment.
Being a Planet Protector for the Arctic
We have to make smart and strong actions. My friends and I love to go hiking all over the world’s arctic regions, like Alaska, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Russia and Greenland—which contrary to its name is actually colder and snowier than Iceland. We learn as much as we can about these beautiful places so we can educate other Planet Protectors, like you. And there are so many things you can do, whether it’s raising money to adopt an arctic fox or create a project with your school, Girl or Boy Scout troop, church, temple, mosque, or even just starting a group yourself. Check out some of the links we’ve included or find your own sites to read more about the value of the arctic. Be your own leader, take charge and believe that what you do matters. You’re already on your way, Planet Protector, so keep going!