Think you can’t make a difference in the world? Well two kids could prove you wrong. Siblings Carter and Olivia Ries (ages 9 and 7) have founded a nonprofit — One More Generation (OMG) — devoted to protecting endangered species around the world. In just a few months they have already raised a lot of money, traveled to the Gulf to help oil-covered sea turtles and leant their support to several important conservation initiatives.
“We believe that every animal has a purpose,” says older brother Carter. “Too many species have gone extinct already. If we don’t help now, we’re going to lose a lot more.”
In the Beginning
Carter and Olivia got their start caring about endangered species a few years ago when a friend of their parents visited the Ann van Dyk Cheetah Rescue Centre in South Africa. Ever since then, the Reis family has “adopted” cheetahs to support the facility. But in September 2009, the rescue center wrote to say that donations had fallen, and it would now cost more than usual to provide the same level of adoption. At the time, Carter and Olivia’s dad, Jim Reis, had just been laid off, so donating more would have been difficult. When they heard that, Carter and Olivia ran upstairs and emptied their piggy banks to make up the difference. “My wife and I did not expect that reaction,” says Jim Reis.
Their enthusiasms led the kids to ask why the cheetahs needed protecting. Their parents explained that some species are endangered, and unless people do something about it, “you kids might not see a cheetah in the wild.” Olivia immediately began crying.
The next day, the kids started researching endangered species and why they are at risk. “I had no idea there were this many endangered species in the world,” says Olivia.
They soon came up with the idea of starting their own organization to help the animals. The name One More Generation came from the kids constantly saying “OMG” as they did their research and in support of the idea that many species might not be around long enough for another generation to see them.
A Quick Start
Even before filing the paperwork to create a nonprofit, Carter and Olivia were out there supporting their newfound mission. They got a booth at a craft show and passed around a petition to stop rattlesnake roundups, collecting an amazing 1,100 signatures in the process. Carter turned his birthday party into a fundraising event, which brought in $175 from his friends. And last May, they convinced their school to hold an OMG Day devoted to endangered species.
OMG Day attracted guests from the Atlanta Zoo and other organizations, as well as a state legislator. The school kids performed a play and sang songs they wrote about endangered species. “That was the most fun for me,” says Olivia. “My friends all learned something.”
Over the next few months, Carter and Olivia collected supplies to help animals rescued after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. At the end of this summer, the family drove down to Louisiana, where they brought the supplies to the Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Rescue Center in New Orleans, and then got to get their hands dirty by actually working with the rescued animals. “We got to help the oiled sea turtles and birds,” says Carter. “That was my favorite thing we’ve done so far.”
Most recently, Carter and Olivia attended an anti-whaling demonstration in Atlanta, for which they painted signs that read “Honk if you love whales.” “That was really fun,” says Carter.
Little Kids with a Big Agenda for Change
Carter and Olivia work hard on OMG every day. They post daily trivia questions to their Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as write blog posts for their website. (Their dad and others help.)
They also have big goals for the future. They hope to raise $50,000 for the cheetah rescue program, and the kids will be guest speakers at the Caring for Creation Conference next April. They are also working on possible collaborations with several other organizations.
Their work is already getting noticed. Carter and Olivia were interviewed for a German TV station, and recently won the grand prize in Nestles’ annual Heroes contest, which they celebrated by having an ice-cream party with their classmates.
You Can Make a Difference, Too
Carter says the most important thing he has learned is that other people care, even if they don’t know how to make a difference yet. “You can start getting involved today,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if you do something to clean the environment or help an endangered species. What matters is that you get educated and do something.”
“Anybody can make a difference,” says Olivia. “If we can, they can too. That’s our number-one message.”
You can learn more about endangered species and support Carter and Olivia’s efforts by visiting the OMG website.
Photos courtesy of One More Generation.