She’s a Fierce Defender of the Climate — and She’s 11 Years Old

After being born in California and growing up in both Utah and Alaska, Acacia developed a love of nature while hiking in deserts and canoeing through wilderness.

“Living in Alaska showed me how fragile our planet is,” Acacia explains on her GoFundMe page. “And if we don’t take action, [our planet] may not be around for future generations to enjoy.”

So when Acacia’s fifth grade teacher told her class they could do their end of the year projects on whatever topics they wanted, Acacia saw an opportunity to raise people’s awareness about the greatest threat to the natural world — global warming.

“My goal is to raise awareness of the negative effects of global warming, educate people about how they can make a difference, and raise money that will go to Greenpeace,” Acacia tells people in the video she created to promote her campaign.

When we at Greenpeace came across Acacia’s GoFundMe campaign, we were so inspired by her dedication and passion for caring about the environment (and touched that she chose to channel her efforts towards Greenpeace). We were reminded how our supporters make all of our work possible — and it’s people like Acacia who are the true core of Greenpeace!

“Let me get scientific for a minute,” Acacia begins on her GoFundMe page before launching into an explanation of how pollutants in the Earth’s atmosphere trap solar heat and cause the temperature of the planet to gradually rise. “Not-so-fun fact time,” she continues, explaining how these rising temperatures are causing Arctic ice to melt at alarming rates, weather patterns to become more extreme and unpredictable, and our oceans to acidify and rise to inundate coastal communities.

But according to Acacia, it’s not too late to take action. “Now is the time to get motivated to help end global warming…what can one person do?” she asks, before listing several possibilities — including educating your family and friends about climate change, holding your representatives accountable through political action, and making changes to your lifestyle in order to shrink your personal carbon footprint.

Greenpeace reached out to Acacia to learn more about her story, and we found out that she is an aspiring wildlife biologist, conservationist, and environmental activist. She is most inspired by her mom, who taught her about the negative effects of climate change and the importance of recycling and enjoying nature.

When we asked her what advice she would give to someone looking to make a big change in the world, Acacia said:

“Not everyone has the same beliefs and opinions, and some people will not agree or believe what you want to change. People will tell you you’re wrong and try to discourage you … be brave, stand up, and speak out! Every little thing you do towards making a change will make a huge difference!”  

Acacia closes her GoFundMe page by explaining she chose to raise money for Greenpeace “so that they can continue the great work they do by educating, advocating, and working towards solutions.”

Want to be like Acacia and fight for the environment alongside Greenpeace? Learn about all the ways you can get involved here.

Thanks for your hard work, Acacia — and for reminding us that everyone has the power to stand up and take action for what they believe in.