PHILIPPE COUSTEAU, JR.'S EARTHECHO INTERNATIONAL INVITES YOUTH TEAMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM TO TAKE ACTION AGAINST SPECIES DECLINE WITH THE THIRD ANNUAL OURECHO CHALLENGE!

-- STEM Challenge for Middle Schoolers Includes a $5,000 and £5,000 Project Grants for the Winning Teams --

-- Biodiversity Challenge Invites Student Teams in the United Kingdom for the First Time --

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From the majestic blue whale to the hardworking honeybee, the complex web of life we call biodiversity touches every centimeter of our planet, including our own backyards. The health and sustainability of every species on earth is interconnected, including people.

EarthEcho International, the global nonprofit founded on the belief that youth have the power to change our planet, is accepting submissions for the 2023 OurEcho Challenge beginning November 3, 2022. The STEM competition is designed to engage young problem solvers in understanding and protecting the amazing diversity of species and ecosystems essential for the future of our planet. Teams of students (ages 10-15), guided by a teacher or mentor, are challenged to address the decline in biodiversity by identifying threats to natural resources in their communities and developing innovative solutions. The competition is made possible through the support of Aramco. To learn more, please visit www.ourechochallenge.org.  

"This year, the OurEcho Challenge expands to include youth teams in the United Kingdom, who along with their counterparts in the United States will turn their passion for the environment and science into action plans in their own communities," said Philippe Cousteau, founder of EarthEcho International. "This growing youth movement to protect and restore the diverse species and habitats that make life on earth possible inspire all of us to take action for a healthy and prosperous planet."

In March 2023, EarthEcho will select finalist teams in both the US and the UK to compete for project grants in each country to turn their ideas into reality. In the US awards of $1,000-$5,000 will be granted with UK awards ranging from £1,000-£5,000. Student teams submitting entries will:

• EXPLORE natural resources in their community with the help of the free online classroom materials at www.ourechochallenge.org;
• IDENTIFY threats to local ecosystems and biodiversity in their communities;
• PROPOSE A SOLUTION through a narrative entry at www.ourechochallenge.org on or before March 3, 2023.

Please visit www.ourechochallenge.org for full competition details, deadlines and resources.

Native animal and plant species are declining at an alarming rate. The future of our planet and our communities depends on healthy ecosystems with thriving, diverse wildlife populations. Recent studies underscore the need for innovative solutions and action now:

• 1 million animal and plant species are at risk of extinction.
• 75% of the land environment and some 66% of the marine environment have been "significantly altered by human actions."
• Up to $577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss.
• Since 1970, 50% of the world's wildlife has vanished, including 3 billion birds in North America alone.
• Recent research suggests that insect populations have declined by 40% globally, and one third are endangered.

*Sources: 2019 United Nations Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment, 2016 World Wildlife Fund Living Planet Report, April 2019 Biological Conservation and 2019 AAAS Report led by Cornell Lab of Ornithology

For more information and updates about the OurEcho Challenge, visit www.OurEchoChallenge.org or follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/earthecho Twitter: www.twitter.com/earthecho and Instagram: www.instagram.com/earthecho/.

For more information about EarthEcho International, visit www.earthecho.org.

For more information about program sponsor Aramco, visit https://www.aramco.com/  

SOURCE EarthEcho International