Tampa girl is a conservation hero

In an era where children are more likely to play X-box, Avalon Theisen has always preferred to play outside. Now, this young girl has organized a "Save The Frogs Day," and sells handmade crafts to raise money to donate to conservation programs.

While most girls her age might shy away from the sticky amphibians, she embraces them, sometimes quite literally. "Frogs are really cool," she said. "They are very cute and they have always kind of interested me." She's gone to frog-listening classes and can identify them by their calls. She knows that frogs help tell the health of the environment and that they are an important part of the food web. They also help to keep the insect population down. George Heinrich, a St. Petersburg wildlife biologist who has taught the home-schooled Avalon for the last four years, loves what he sees in her. "She's a very bright child," he said. "She's like a sponge. She takes what you teach her and runs with it." The two have paddled their way down the Hillsborough River and taken nature hikes at Brooker Creek Preserve and Boyd Hill Nature Park. They've even gone to Florida's east coast to watch sea turtles hatch.

Congrats, Avalon! You make us proud! To read the full article, click here.