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What is Hero Kids?

Our Youth Ambassador, Lily, explains how this programme empowers young changemakers to take action for ocean health.

Hero Kids is one of our three programmes at One Ocean Planet Education.

This year we have 7 incredible young changemakers, each leading their own projects to protect and restore our oceans. 🐠💙

From coral reef conservation to ocean awareness campaigns, they’re proving that age is no barrier to making a difference.

Stay tuned — we’ll be sharing their journeys and projects soon! ✨

ENVIRONMENTAL SPORTS CHAMPIONS 🌍⭐️- it is a huge honor to be named one of the Lewis Pugh Foundation’s Environmental Sports Champions! @lewispughfdn #environmentalsportschampions 💚🌍💙🌊 Being listed alongside all these inspiring athletes is just incredible. 🙏🏻 Also a big thank you to Mr. Pugh - UN Ocean Patron - for being my ocean hero! @lewis.pugh 🏊🏻 🌊 Thank you to the Ocean Born Foundation and Compassion in World Farming for making our Octo-Defender Challenge a success and for continuing to work with me to protect our Octofriends 🐙🌊💙 @oceanbornfoundation @ciwf Check out the article in my bio and below 🤓.

Lily Niederhofer
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

If you need proof of the power packed into the next generation, look no further than Lily Niederhofer. This 10-year-old competitive swimmer from Portugal is raising awareness for environmental issues close to her heart while setting herself impact challenges. “I have to push myself physically and mentally, but I also want to create buzz and attention for the cause.” In the midst of a project on her favourite animal – Octopuses – Lily discovered plans for a commercial octopus farm on a parking lot on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. She swung into action, and began training for a two-km open-water swim in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the Algarve. She teamed up with the Madrid-based Ocean Born Foundation to create the ‘Octo-Defender Challenge’, raising funds for the ‘Compassion in World Farming end.it campaign’. Lily successfully completed her swim on May 25, and recruited five more Octo-Defenders. Together they have raised over €11,000 to date. Lily hopes to inspire others to take action in preserving our planet and oceans. “I believe that no matter your age you can have agency and hopefully I can create a movement of young people around the world who want to donate their time and skill to protect what they love.” Follow Lily’s journey on Instagram.

ENVIRONMENTAL SPORTS CHAMPIONS 🌍⭐️- it is a huge honor to be named one of the Lewis Pugh Foundation’s Environmental Sports Champions! @lewispughfdn #environmentalsportschampions 💚🌍💙🌊 Being listed alongside all these inspiring athletes is just incredible. 🙏🏻 Also a big thank you to Mr. Pugh - UN Ocean Patron - for being my ocean hero! @lewis.pugh 🏊🏻 🌊 Thank you to the Ocean Born Foundation and Compassion in World Farming for making our Octo-Defender Challenge a success and for continuing to work with me to protect our Octofriends 🐙🌊💙 @oceanbornfoundation @ciwf Check out the article in my bio and below 🤓.

Lily Niederhofer
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

If you need proof of the power packed into the next generation, look no further than Lily Niederhofer. This 10-year-old competitive swimmer from Portugal is raising awareness for environmental issues close to her heart while setting herself impact challenges. “I have to push myself physically and mentally, but I also want to create buzz and attention for the cause.” In the midst of a project on her favourite animal – Octopuses – Lily discovered plans for a commercial octopus farm on a parking lot on Gran Canaria, one of the Canary Islands. She swung into action, and began training for a two-km open-water swim in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of the Algarve. She teamed up with the Madrid-based Ocean Born Foundation to create the ‘Octo-Defender Challenge’, raising funds for the ‘Compassion in World Farming end.it campaign’. Lily successfully completed her swim on May 25, and recruited five more Octo-Defenders. Together they have raised over €11,000 to date. Lily hopes to inspire others to take action in preserving our planet and oceans. “I believe that no matter your age you can have agency and hopefully I can create a movement of young people around the world who want to donate their time and skill to protect what they love.” Follow Lily’s journey on Instagram.

💥🏊🏻‍♀️ Just wrapped up an unforgettable week training with The Race Club in Oceanside, California! 🌊🔥 Every session pushed me to level up — from stroke technique and efficiency to turns and those killer Tandy starts! 💣💨 @theraceclub

Thank you to Coach Gary, Coach Richard, and Coach Sam for the world-class coaching, nonstop motivation, and game-changing insights! 🙌💪 @garyhallsr100 @samcoachswim

I’m leaving with a clearer view on how top level swimmers train, visualise and win! 🎯 Thank you 💙 @foxergram

LET’S GO, RACE CLUB! 🚀😎🏁🏊🏻‍♀️

Just start. Keep showing up.
And don’t underestimate where one small idea can take you! 💙 @oneoceanplaneteducation @oneoceanplanet

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

I didn’t start with a plan. I started with something I cared about and a skill I already had. 🌊

Last month I stood up at Earth Day London and shared six “postcards” — one from each place that taught me something since I fell in love with one of the most intelligent animals in the ocean, and found out a company wanted to put them in tanks and farm them. I didn’t know where it would go. I just knew I wanted to do something.

Here’s what I’d tell any kid who wants to make a difference but doesn’t know where to start:

1️⃣ You don’t need a big vision. You need a genuine starting point. If you’re waiting to have a big enough idea before you start, you’ll keep waiting.

2️⃣ Use what you’re already good at. I was a competitive swimmer, so I trained for three months and swam 2km in the Atlantic off the Algarve. It gave people something to pay attention to. @multisport.evolution.pt @coachtelmat

3️⃣ Adults will listen — but they respond to effort, not just opinions. Over 300 people in 15 countries donated, and coverage went from local papers to Sky News. The cause had started moving on its own. @manhusen_schwab @domilesser

4️⃣ The best opportunities came when I least expected them. After the swim I thought the project was done — then one comment in a meeting in Madrid turned into a US trip, lawmakers, and real legislation. It happened because I showed up and said yes. @ciwf @ciwfusa

5️⃣ Being there in person changes everything. After a lobby day in Sacramento and meeting legislators, we felt more confident that California would pass the law banning octopus farming. An email would not have done it - every in person meeting mattered. @duckdogo @socialcompassion

6️⃣ Patience is a skill, not a personality type. I followed up for two years on one bill — it’s now heading to a Senate vote. You get better at waiting with practice.

I’m twelve, and I don’t have all the answers. But I think these would help others.

Use what you love to protect what you love. And don’t stop until you’re proud. 💙 @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @oceanculturelife

🐙 Swipe through the postcards →

New York’s octopus farming ban bill just cleared committee and is now on the legislative calendar, meaning a full chamber vote could happen within the next two weeks.

Washington and California have already passed bans. If New York follows, it sends a powerful signal that the US is serious about getting ahead of an industry that has no business existing.

Octopuses are solitary, sentient animals. There is no humane way to farm them at scale.

🐙

New York’s octopus farming ban bill just cleared committee and is now on the legislative calendar, meaning a full chamber vote could happen within the next two weeks.

Washington and California have already passed bans. If New York follows, it sends a powerful signal that the US is serious about getting ahead of an industry that has no business existing.

Octopuses are solitary, sentient animals. There is no humane way to farm them at scale.

🐙

New York’s octopus farming ban bill just cleared committee and is now on the legislative calendar, meaning a full chamber vote could happen within the next two weeks.

Washington and California have already passed bans. If New York follows, it sends a powerful signal that the US is serious about getting ahead of an industry that has no business existing.

Octopuses are solitary, sentient animals. There is no humane way to farm them at scale.

🐙

New York’s octopus farming ban bill just cleared committee and is now on the legislative calendar, meaning a full chamber vote could happen within the next two weeks.

Washington and California have already passed bans. If New York follows, it sends a powerful signal that the US is serious about getting ahead of an industry that has no business existing.

Octopuses are solitary, sentient animals. There is no humane way to farm them at scale.

🐙

New York’s octopus farming ban bill just cleared committee and is now on the legislative calendar, meaning a full chamber vote could happen within the next two weeks.

Washington and California have already passed bans. If New York follows, it sends a powerful signal that the US is serious about getting ahead of an industry that has no business existing.

Octopuses are solitary, sentient animals. There is no humane way to farm them at scale.

🐙

There is something almost impossible to describe about seeing wild dolphins appear beside you in the open ocean. 🌊

For a few moments, everything else disappears. You stop thinking about screens, school, noise, or time. You just watch.

Experiences like this remind me why spending time in nature matters so much, especially when we are young. The ocean teaches things no classroom fully can — curiosity, humility, patience, respect, and the understanding that humans are part of nature, not separate from it. 🌍

The ocean is not just “water.” It is a living world filled with intelligence, ecosystems, migration, communication, and mysteries we still barely understand.

And I think something important happens when children experience that world directly: we do not just learn about nature — we begin to care about it.

Earthlings protect what they feel connected to. 🌍💙

I know I will remember this moment for the rest of my life. 🙏

Best birthday gift ever. 🌎🐬✨

Huge congratulations to Benton — Hero Kids Cohort 2025/2026 — for completing his incredible 340km ocean cycle challenge along the coast of Portugal 🚴🌊

From the moment Benton joined our Hero Kids calls last September, his knowledge of bottom trawling and its devastating impact on marine ecosystems stood out. Inspired by David Attenborough’s documentary OCEAN, he turned concern into action.

After visiting Nazaré and learning about the Hope Zones regenerative seaweed farming projects, Benton decided to use his own strength — cycling — to raise awareness and funds to help regenerate the sea floor and protect marine life.

He trained relentlessly, spoke at Earth Day events in London, and then completed an enormous four-day, 340km ride down the Portuguese coast raising EUR 15,000.

Benton — this is not the finish line. It is only the beginning. Keep protecting what you love, keep inspiring others, and keep showing people that young people can create real impact right now.

The ocean is lucky to have you 💙 @cycle2save @oneoceanplaneteducation @oneoceanplanet @cigalacycling @hopezones.foundation

Twelve years young and already creating waves bigger than most ever dream of. 🌊

A heart full of purpose, a voice that inspires change, and a future as bright as the ocean she fights for. Here’s to growing, leading, and making every ripple count. 💙✨

Happy birthday @swimforimpact

One of my favourite people it’sher birthday, and I honestly couldn’t be happier that our paths crossed.

It all started with one email. Then, around six months later, I went to support your 2km open water challenge, paddling alongside you during the swim. From there, we started working together through Generation Blue workshops at your school, and later we launched Hero Kids because you wanted to give more agency and opportunities to young people who wanted to create change.

And since then, you haven’t stopped.

You sat at a round table in Nazaré, Portugal, alongside adults and changemakers speaking about ocean protection and restoration. You went to your brothers’ school to give two talks, sharing your story and inspiring younger generations. And then on Earth Day, in a room full of adults, you completely lit up the space with your energy, your passion, and your belief that we can still change the world.

Like you always say, “leadership has no age.” And you prove that every single day.

Thank you for your heart, your courage, and for walking this path with all of us. Watching you grow has been one of the biggest privileges.

Happy birthday! 🐙💙🎉🎂

Benton, watching you this week was honestly something I’ll never forget.

300 km. Rain, pain, broken gears, long days… and you just kept going.

But what stayed with me most wasn’t only the cycling. It was your conviction. The way at 13 years old you can speak about the ocean floor, seaweed farms and protecting the ocean with so much passion and clarity.

I feel really proud to have lived this challenge beside you, seeing first hand the person you are becoming.

You reminded all of us that age truly means nothing when someone has purpose.

And this is only the beginning.

This weekend on #TheVisioneers, Zay meets with members of One Ocean Planet, a foundation working to protect and restore the ocean through education, partnerships, and real-world action. By empowering the next generation and supporting science-based solutions, they’re helping people understand just how deeply our lives are connected to the ocean. Lily Niederhofer is one of the youth activists working with One Ocean Planet. Tune in on CBS to learn more about Lily’s mission! @volofoundation @oneoceanplanet @oneoceanplaneteducation @swimforimpact