Inspiring youth to take on biodiversity challenges

For a fourth year the OurEcho Challenge, an annual STEM competition held by EarthEcho International made possible by support from Aramco, challenged middle school students to examine biodiversity in their communities and propose solutions.  

When it was over, three U.S. teams emerged tackling issues related to a range of biodiversity challenges from endemic bird species to safe haven habitats.

“We are proud to work with Aramco to award these teams grants to turn their projects into a reality,” said Kasey Gaylord-Opalewski, Associate Director of Programs, EarthEcho International, Inc. Aramco's involvement included serving on the expert judging panel for each country.

U.S. Winning Teams

The first-place team from Hawai'i “Team Pono Popoki Project” is working to save the Hawaiian coot, an endemic bird species that live in coastal wetlands.  The feral cat population has contributed to the decline of this bird species and their project calls for implementing a humane capture, spay, and neuter program to address the immense feral cat population.

The second-place team from Kentucky “Team Nocturnal Natives” is addressing the steady decline of the native bat population in the state.  The team looks to improve the bats' natural habitat by installing bat houses and planting more native plants in the area to increase the population of insects which will provide more food sources for the bats.

The third-place team from Colorado “Team Fungi Frogs” aims to protect the Northern Leopard Frogs from diseases and fungi in hopes of protecting the species which has experienced an alarming decline in population.

"The 2023 OurEcho Challenge finalist teams impressed us with their grasp of local biodiversity and a broad range of issues and potential solutions, from native bird species threatened by feral cats to restoring local peat bogs," said EarthEcho International founder Philippe Cousteau, Jr. "These young innovators and problem solvers provide us a glimpse into the global youth movement that is reinvigorating environmental advocacy around the globe."

Aramco's commitment to biodiversity protection reaches beyond Saudi Arabia to places where we operate around the globe.  The initiative was supported by Aramco Americas and Aramco Europe in support of our company's dedication to raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity protection.

Click here to read more about the OurEcho Challenge.