UNIT 11 - What can you do to protect our Planet?

The Ivory-Trade Fighters

Twins Isabella and Willow Poschman, 11, are working to protect the

 African elephant from the ivory trade

APRIL 06, 2017  By Stephanie Kraus

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In second grade, Isabella and Willow Poschman learned about the ivory trade that is hurting elephants. Thousands of African elephants are killed each year for their ivory tusks. Much of the ivory is used to make expensive jewelry, ornaments, and statues. African elephant populations have been in steep decline, mostly because of the ivory trade. “We were really shocked. We felt like we needed to do something,” Isabella told TFK. “Elephants are amazing creatures.”

The twins from Aspen, Colorado, got to work. They began by writing letters to President Barack Obama, President Xi Jinping of China, and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya. Then, they founded a non-profit called Kids Saving Elephants. Its goals are to educate kids and adults about African elephants and to collect donations to fight the ivory trade. Isabella and Willow started making handmade elephant greeting cards to sell at local farmers markets. The money they raise from selling the cards is donated to groups dedicated to helping elephants.

The girls, now 11, talked to TFK about their work.

TIME FOR KIDS:

What inspired you to start helping elephants?

ISABELLA POSCHMAN:

We saw a video on how bad the ivory trade is and we were really shocked. Elephants are very smart and they’re the only mammals that can cry, besides humans. Elephants deserve to be on this planet just as much as we do.

TFK:

NIGEL PAVITT—AWL IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

African elephants, like the one seen here, are hunted for their valuable ivory tusks.

For people who don’t know, how would you describe the ivory trade?

WILLOW POSCHMAN:

I would describe it as brutal because elephants are being killed really rapidly and it keeps happening. About 96 elephants are killed a day. They’re killed for their tusks, which are made of ivory. Ivory is really valuable.

TFK:

Could you talk about your organization?

WILLOW:

Kids Saving Elephants donates money that we make to organizations like the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. It’s an elephant orphanage for baby elephants whose parents have been killed. TFK: What was the response when you started your work?

ISABELLA:

We didn’t really get a lot of attention at first, because we just sold lemonade and cookies in our neighborhood. But then we started making elephant greeting cards. We use paper scraps and paint and elephant stencils and we sell the cards at farmers markets. We usually make about $1,000 a day and sell out. After that, we applied for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes and we won honorable mention this year. That got us some attention.

TFK:

Why is this an important cause?

ISABELLA:

This is an important cause because elephants could become extinct by 2025 or 2030.

WILLOW:

We think that at this rate, they could be extinct by the time we’re out of high school.

TFK:

How did you get connected with other kids working toward the same cause?

WILLOW:

Mostly Facebook. We gave presentations to our classrooms when we started to spread awareness and we put the presentation on our Facebook page. A little boy in Minnesota found it and he shared it with his class. They wrote letters to their senator. There’s a girl in Hong Kong who started her own elephant project. There’s also a little girl in Texas who is helping us.

TFK:

What would you say to other kids trying to make an impact in their own communities?

ISABELLA:

We would say that you should never give up. Even if it’s slow moving for a couple of years, big things will eventually happen.

COURTESY THE POSCHMAN FAMILY

The Poschman twins create handmade elephant themed greeting cards. The money earned from selling the cards is donated to help elephants.

TFK:

How can kids help?

ISABELLA:

You can sign our online petition to stop the ivory trade. Kids in more than 60 countries have signed it.

TFK:

What’s next for you both?

ISABELLA:

We’re raising money to go to Africa and make a film about a network of people who save elephants and we think that will make a big impact.

TFK:

Anything else our readers should know?

ISABELLA:

We encourage kids everywhere to join Kids Saving Elephants. For $50, you could adopt an elephant from the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The money goes to protect the elephants. So far with the money we raised, we saved 15 elephants and a rhino.

WILLOW:

Any donation helps!

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