BOSTON (April 26, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality announced the 2023 recipients of the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) in New England. Two students from Mass. were chosen to receive awards for their work to solve local and global environmental problems.
The New England recipients, both from Massachusetts, are among 15 PEYA winners nationwide, recognized for their environmental work.
“These students are making a real, immediate, and significant improvement to the environment they live in,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “They have tackled environmental challenges in their communities and in the world at large and we thank them for their hard work.”
The PEYA was established by the Environmental Education Act of 1970 and recognizes outstanding community-level environmental projects by K-12 youth that promote awareness of natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Each year, PEYA honors a variety of local projects developed by students, school classes, summer camp attendees and youth organizations to promote engagement in environmental stewardship and protection.
2023 New England Recipients of President’s Environmental Youth Awards:
Aanya Soni
Every Turtle Matters
Award Category: Grade Level K-5
Hopkinton, MA
In her hometown of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Aanya, a 4th grader at Edward J. Hopkins Elementary School, always hopes to spot one of her favorite animals: the turtle. Unfortunately, one too many times she has seen them fall prey to motor vehicles, particularly when they crossed roadways. Despite the discouragement of these sights, Aanya was determined to put a stop to turtle endangerment, so she began her very own wildlife conservation project: Every Turtle Matters.
Through her conservation work, Aanya learned that turtles are scavengers, omnivores, and important contributors of biomass within their ecosystems. Her newfound knowledge only inspired her more to defend these creatures, so she wrote to Edwin Harrow of the Conservation Commission searching for a solution that would keep Hopkinton’s turtles safe. Thanks to her initiative, the Conservation Commission—in collaboration with the Department of Public Works—installed turtle crossing signs in areas of notable turtle activity. It is a straightforward action for an achievable solution: the signs remind drivers to take caution, saving turtle lives in the process. This is the first time such an action has been taken in Hopkinton, and the event has helped educate residents.
Since 2021, turtle crossing signs have been placed at critical locations from the spring until the fall (when turtle precautions are most necessary). As time will prove, Aanya’s activism will not only save the lives of her favorite animal, but also save the lives of others, reminding drivers to always take nature into consideration.
Aryan Mago
Together for Waterways
Award Category: Grade Level 6-12
Groton, MA
Outside the classroom, Aryan – a junior at the Groton School in Groton, Massachusetts – enjoys hiking and swimming in the local watershed. Her passion for waterways, and for nature in general, has led Aryan to join local watershed associations, attend awareness movements, and create her own project: Together for Waterways. Aryan was taking water quality samples for Worcester’s Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative when she noticed a problem—namely, that Worcester’s water bodies are filled with litter, scum, and invasive species. Following an investigation into EPA statistics, she learned that an astonishing 67 percent of her local watershed is impaired by trash, and this excludes harmful interference from algae, nutrient pollution, and invasive plants, each of which have their own startling statistics. While the Worchester Lakes and Ponds Program is working hard to address these watershed threats, Aryan knows that community involvement is essential, so she set out to establish an organization that harnesses the creativity, technology, and media skills of savvy students to inform consumers of the consequences of their purchases. So far, Together for Waterways has distributed flyers, provided action toolkits, and brought environmental data to more than 12,500 site viewers. The results have been remarkable: between 2021 and 2022, a 37 percent decrease in plastic litter, a 48 percent reduction in nutrition pollution, and a 23 percent decline in invasive aquatic species. Aryan’s work united all of Worcester under the power of the consumer for cleaner, more sustainable watersheds.
To read about the winning projects in detail, visit:
President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA)