The Orang Utan Republik Foundation is proud to announce that on September 20th, Jack Dalton (aka The Kid Conservationist and OURF's Youth Ambassador), age 12, of Manchester, New Hampshire, was named a winner of the 2022 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. The Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment. Fifteen top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education.
As mentioned in the press release from the Barron Prize, "Jack works passionately to protect critically endangered orangutans and their rainforest habitat, as well as to educate and inspire people to protect the environment. He creates educational and entertaining videos for his YouTube channel, which has garnered more than 200,000 views from people in over 90 countries. His videos feature famous conservationists showcasing ways we can all help care for the planet. He has raised $12,000 for education, orangutan rehabilitation, and rainforest restoration by selling reusable bags made from recycled material and through sales of his children’s book titled Kawan the Orangutan, Lost in the Rainforest. For every book purchased, a tree is planted to help restore orangutan habitat. Jack will travel to Indonesia in October 2022 to help with several conservation projects, including the planting of trees. Known as the Kid Conservationist, he serves as a Youth Ambassador for Orangutan Alliance, Orang Utan Republik, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.
Jack began his work as an 8-year-old after learning about palm oil, deforestation, and how his actions were affecting animals. Vowing to create change, he has since presented to more than 4,500 children and adults in classrooms and at zoos and conferences around the world. He shares his vast knowledge of orangutans and inspires audiences to care about the Earth and all its inhabitants. Jack has sold more than 1,800 copies of his book and has donated hundreds of them to children in need at schools, libraries, and hospitals. “I’ve learned that I can take on challenging causes and persevere because it’s the right thing to do,” says Jack. “I’ve discovered that if you want something to change, you need to do something about it.”
The Barron Prize was founded in 2001 by author T. A. Barron and was named for his mother, Gloria Barron. Since then, the Prize has honored more than 500 young people who reflect the great diversity of America. All of them demonstrate heroic qualities like courage, compassion, and perseverance as they work to help their communities or protect the planet.
“Nothing is more inspiring than stories about heroic people who have truly made a difference to the world,” says T. A. Barron. “And we need our heroes today more than ever. Not celebrities, but heroes – people whose character can inspire us all. That is the purpose of the Barron Prize: to shine the spotlight on these amazing young people so that their stories will inspire others.”
For more information, visit www.barronprize.org