Meet the Kind News “Earth Ranger of the Year”
April 4th, 2025
By Heidi Colonna, Kind News™ Writer and Co-Editor –
Sixth grader Hannah Cooper may be “green,” but she doesn’t see a difference between her work for wildlife and dogs. “They both need our help,” she says.
Our own Kind News magazine named Hannah “Earth Ranger of the Year” after teaming up with Earth Rangers™ – a charity that empowers kids and families to have a real and positive impact on the environment. Magazine staff reviewed 94 submissions from young Earth Rangers members across the United States who’ve taken action for wildlife and habitats.
Hannah finds ways to make a difference wherever she goes. If she spends a day at the park, she also makes sure to pick up trash. After she convinced her parents of the importance of recycling, she urged her whole community to do so by posting flyers around her town in Texas.
Last year, Hannah founded an “eco club” called Girls Go Green with her friends. They pick up trash around the church where they meet. They’ve collected cans to recycle and donated the money to help local unhoused people. But her hands-down, favorite activity? Helping with the snow cone stand to raise money for the Humane Society of Nacogdoches County, where she volunteers with her family walking and socializing the dogs.
“I’ve always loved animals,” she says. “I’ve always liked being outside.” That’s enough to keep her going, but there’s more: “I like how once I finish something, I can tell it’s made a difference,” she says. “The dog we walked gets adopted.”
Read Hannah’s full profile in our March/April 2025 issue of Kind News: KindNews.org/mar25
Want to get involved? Visit KindNews.org/adopt to learn how you can adopt one – or more – classrooms today, or email KindNews@RedRover.org.