Amie and May Thomasson on youth supporting conservation

Tell us how you became WWF supporters.

Amie: On Christmas Eve our family has a tradition of gifting a charitable donation in each other’s names. When May was in first grade, she asked me to donate to WWF.

May: I wanted to help animals. Since then, my friends and I have put on shows in our barn and donated the profits to WWF. And I started organizing other things—like bake sales—to raise more money.

Amie: May also convinced us to do WWF’s virtual 5k for nature during the pandemic. It was then that we all started becoming more involved. I even started matching May’s donations myself.

How can youth support conservation?

May: I’ve written some articles for my school newspaper about the environment—one was about the impact of food waste. I think it helps to spread the word. The more people understand why conservation is important, the more likely they will be to practice being good to the environment.

Amie: I’m proud of how May has been able to inspire her friends. I think it’s important for youth to feel like they’re a part of conservation from an early age. They have a lifetime to inspire others and do good in the world.

What do you hope for the future?

May: I hope that my support has helped even just one person or one animal. I also aspire to use my passions like writing and theater to help the environment.

Amie: Anything we can do to slow down the rate of species loss and habitat loss feels like a good way forward. My hope is that the amazing nature in this world will be around for future generations.