Friday, September 14, 2012

Madeline Cranston... Pint-Sized Tidal Wave

When Madeline Cranston stepped onstage at Ignite Charity: Waterloo heads turned and eyes grew wide. Being in the back, I thought I was witness to a speaker falling on her face because I couldn't see anyone up there. Then I lowered my gaze down and down until my eyes fell upon the sweetest speaker ever to grace an Ignite stage.


Madeline is 9 years old and in 4th grade. She dreams of being a Marine Biologist and Conservationist. She's determined to save our oceans and all the marine life in them. She's an ambassador for AfriOceans Conservation Alliance (AOCA) and on Earth Day, she raised $250 through a bake sale with her Save the Shark club. She is also the creator of the Cool Clicks to Save Our Planet website.

Madeline's blog is a resting place for all links marine life on the web. She fundraises for oceana.org, AfriOceans and National Geographic, she blogs about planet saving tips like going vegetarian for a week, the dangers of plastic bags and her real-life marine biology heroes. She teaches us that there are more squirrel attacks in a year than shark attacks (I had no idea!) and that one pint-sized girl can have a heart as big as an ocean.

I created this site with the help of my mom who inspired me because she is a blogger.  I also wanted to blog because one day in Science, my teacher, Mrs. Bradley, told us about how little fresh water is left on our planet.  The amount has dropped a lot and it makes me really sad.  So sad that I cry whenever I think about it.  So, I want to tell you how to save water, how to save our oceans and the animals that live in it.  Our planet is precious.  Help me save it. - Madeline Cranston

Onstage, Madeline was confident. She held 270 captive adults in the palm of her hand, waiting to hear what she was going to say. When she stumbled slightly, the crowd cheered her on and at the end, a standing ovation, one of only a few I've seen after 13 Ignite events.

If Madeline can change the world, so can you. Here are a few of her tips on how you can make our Earth a better place:


I'm trying to help save our planet by doing little things everyday.  You can too.  Here are some tips:
* try being a vegetarian for a week. 
* buy a low flow toilet that uses rain water
* try to watch less television
* if you see trash (even if it isn't yours) pick it up and put it in the garbage
* recycle as much as you can 
* try not buy new things

Some of these tips may be harder than others to do.  Just try, okay?

Just try, okay? If for nothing else, don't we want to help keep our planet as beautiful as possible for the kids like Maddie?



*This is part 2 in a series of 15 blogs detailing the amazing projects presented in the world's first ever Ignite Charity: Waterloo. For more info on Ignite Charity visit www.ignitecharity.ca and follow the conversation on twitter @IgniteCharity.



2 comments:

  1. Thanks Melissa for your wonderful blog about Maddie's presentation. She is happy that her message was heard. She wants nothing more than to save the oceans and marine life that she cherishes. You've helped to spread the word and raise awareness of the concerns about shark finning, overfishing and all the harm we are doing to our planet. For your help -- we are so grateful

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    1. Susan, it has been my pleasure to highlight Maddie's cause on my blog. What an amazing young lady! I look forward to seeing where she takes it in the future!

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