MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Brielle Martinez, a senior at Terra Environmental Research Institute, was selected to be this year’s Local 10 Eco Hero.
For her grand prize, Brielle will embark on an amazing adventure to Australia with Local 10 News anchor Kristi Krueger and Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill this summer. She was selected from a group of five finalists.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip worth approximately $50,000 for Brielle and her chaperone.
She will travel to Australia for two weeks with the team from June 14th through June 30th and our adventures will be turned into a prime-time special. First stop, the city of Melbourne where we will hit the famous Melbourne Zoo and get up close with some of its beloved animals. We will also see the beautiful sights from Ayers Rock and even snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. A stop in Sydney is included and so much more!
Previous Eco Hero destinations have included The Amazon, Antarctica, Machu Picchu, Canada and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Eco Hero: Down Under is an amazing opportunity for any young environmentalist!
Brielle says she’s excited to see the unique ecosystem in Australia, as well as the argus monitor, a reptile.
Reptiles are Brielle’s passion.
She says when she went to her first reptile convention, she was hooked.
“It really opened my eyes to how diverse reptiles can be, species wise, different adaptations, where they can be around the world and why they look a certain way,” Brielle said. “Ever since, I just couldn’t look back.”
While her family’s reptile business sparked her special interest, Brielle says she really is wild about all wildlife.
In fact, she’s volunteered almost 500 hours as a conservation teenage scientist at Zoo Miami.
Brielle is headed off to college this fall with plans to become a conservation veterinarian.