Youngster’s eco-friendly suggestion wins trip for family

Shianne Freebairn, 11, was home sick the day she received a congratulatory call for winning the Stomp Out Carbon contest in the 11- to 14-year-old category.

"It made me feel better," Shianne said with a laugh. She won a trip for four to Washington, D.C., a digital camera and a gift basket of eco-friendly items.

The Earth Day contest, sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Friends of the National Zoo, asked children nationwide to submit solutions on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. (Sydney Stokes of Ohio was the 6- to 10-year-old category winner.)

Shianne, a sixth-grader at Mannion Middle School, sent 10 letters to Las Vegas businesses that use vehicle transportation daily and asked them to reduce emissions by not idling their vehicles. For her contest submission, Shianne drew a picture and wrote a summary attaching copies of the letters she sent and received.

"Living in Las Vegas, I see a lot of vehicles that sit there and idle. Three wrote back saying they would try to stop idling their vehicles," said Shianne, who received responses from Fed Ex, AWG Charter Services and DHL delivery service.

"The limo company said they would try to have employees do it, but said with the warm weather it would be difficult. They needed the limos to be cool for the customers," Shianne added.

When she heard about her daughter's phone call, Shianne's mother, Leslie, asked if it was a joke.

"It was great. We got to take a vacation we didn't have to pay for," Leslie said. "It was the chance of a lifetime."

While in Washington, the family did sightseeing, including visits to national monuments.

"We tried to go to as many museums as we could," Shianne said.

The family also visited the Smithsonian National Zoo, where they toured the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat and Asia Trail and met with staff members. The family learned about how the zoo uses earth-friendly materials in its exhibits and reuses trees that have been cut down.

"They take them into their exhibits and decorate them to make them more lifelike," Shianne said.

Her family tries to follow Shianne's advice as well. For instance, family members try to keep from idling their vehicles, which leads to some hot afternoons in the desert.

"We try not to have our vehicles running at school when we pick up the kids. I'm sweating with the windows rolled down," Leslie said, laughing.

"As a family, we are interested in doing what we can," she added.

Shianne, who said she enjoys science and watching Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel on TV, hopes that others also will work toward reducing vehicle emissions.

"I think that more people need to realize what's going on, and take action and help," Shianne said.

In other youth news:

• The theater department at Palo Verde High School will present "The Taming of the Shrew" at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 26-29 in the school theater, 333 Pavilion Center Drive. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door. For ticket reservations, call 799-1450, Ext. 4051.

If you know of a worthy candidate for this column, mail information to Youth Spotlight, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125-0070, or send faxes to 383-4676.