Heroic Green

Recently, we spotted a comment on a fellow green friend's thread lamenting that only 10% of the activists for any particular cause actually accomplish anything. The rest of those are in it to schmooze or gain personal glory.

In a world that celebrates heroes, that's not too much of an exaggeration. For example, this past weekend, The Avengers movie broke box office records. The world loves and celebrates a hero, but many times the folks behind the scenes are the ones really making the difference.

Well-known green heroes include Jane Goodall for her animal activism and Ansel Adams for his nature photography yet the names Charlotte Uhlenbroek and Andrea G. Stillman as their assistants are virtually unknown. There are other heroes that aren't even associated with anyone famous, yet are making huge strides in world changing areas. Often, the story behind the story is as fascinating if not even more so.

Whenever lists of heroes circulate, there are always comments countering the list with citations of those who "should be on the list". A cursory search on unsung heroes turned up the non-profit Lowell Milken Center in Fort Scott, KS whose mission is to:

...discover, develop and communicate the stories of unsung heroes who have made a profound and positive difference on the course of history. 

The Center sponsors an annual student Discovery Award with prizes of up to $10,000 for first place. The contest encourages students to research and put together a project celebrating an unsung hero. The winning projects become part of the center's permanent display while serving as an incredible opportunity to give credit where credit is due and also explore history in greater depth.

Be a Fan