He hopes to plant one trillion trees to offset climate change

When Germany's Felix Finkbeiner was nine years old, his class assignment was a report on climate change. His research for the report uncovered the Nobel-prize winning work of Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan woman who had spearheaded programs to plant 30 million trees in Africa. Felix was inspired by her work and decided to plant a few trees himself. One million trees, to be exact.

He started talking about it, and with help started an organization called Plant the Planet. In its first year, children planted 100,000 trees in Germany. Word spread, and Felix's dream reached the United Nations. At the ripe old age of 14, he spoke to the UN's General Assembly, saying in part, “We children know adults know the challenges and they know the solutions. We don’t know why there is so little action.” 

Now 20, Felix continues to work with Plant the Planet, and in cooperation with the UN's Billion Tree Campaign, has helped plant 15 billion trees in 130 countries. The groups' efforts are on track to plant one trillion trees, or 150 trees for every person on earth. 

 A fascinating aspect of the Plant the Planet campaign is the 55,000 'climate-change ambassadors' they have trained for activism in their home communities. Their average age is nine to twelve years old. 

Wangari Maathai didn't live to see the seed she planted had taken root in Felix's heart. Now that seed has spread to another generation. Our world is more beautiful and sustainable because of their work.