January 26, 2022
High school teacher Peggy O’Leary is a fine arts teacher at Sacred Heart Preparatory in Atherton, California. She wanted to incorporate stories of environmental and climate activism into her art class, so turned to the Goldman Environmental Prize winners for inspiration. We think the results are stunning. Below is a sampling of the student paintings.
Howard Wood
Thanks to Howard Wood (Scotland, 2015), Scotland established its first community-developed Marine Protected Area in 2014. He continues to support the NGO he founded, Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), to advocate for marine conservation and protection.
Student Artist: Warren Hsiao
Gloria Majiga-Kamoto
Gloria Majiga-Kamoto (Malawi, 2021) galvanized a grassroots movement in support of a national ban on thin plastics in Malawi. She is pictured here surrounded by plastic bags.
Student Artist: Redmond Averbuck
Máxima Acuña
Máxima Acuña (Peru, 2016) protected her land from being developed into a toxic gold and copper mine. The fight is ongoing—Máxima continues to stand up to mining interests today.
Student Artist: Iris O’Conner
Tuy Sereivathana
Tuy Sereivathana (Cambodia, 2010) helped protect elephants and mitigate human-elephant conflict in Cambodia by empowering local communities. Today he continues his work with Wild Earth Allies.
Student Artist: Devon Williams
Kristal Ambrose
Kristal Ambrose (The Bahamas, 2020) convinced the Bahamian government to ban single-use plastics. The national ban went into effect in January 2020. Kristal is passionate about ocean conservation and continues to work with her nonprofit, The Bahamas Plastic Movement.
Student Artist: Anna Bassett
