SHREWSBURY, MA — An 8-year-old Shrewsbury resident is making a national impact through her love of wildlife, conservation and environmental stewardship.
Grey Martin has advanced to the Quarterfinals of the 2026 Jr. Ranger Competition, placing her among the top 1 percent of children nationwide, out of more than 78,000.
The Jr. Ranger Competition is a national public voting contest for children ages 4-12 who are passionate about nature, wildlife, and environmental stewardship. The winner receives $20,000, a wildlife experience with conservationist Jeff Corwin, and a feature in Ranger Rick Magazine.
Over the past several weeks, Martin has shared educational videos on animals, local wildlife, climate awareness and environmental care. Her topics have ranged from electric eels and mudpuppies to community litter cleanups and the protection of oceans and waterways.
What started as a fun competition has evolved into a broader opportunity to inspire curiosity about the natural world and encourage environmental responsibility among children and families alike. Along the way, community members have rallied behind Martin's efforts and donated more than $1,000 to the National Wildlife Federation on her behalf.
Martin loves hiking, rock climbing, hockey, gardening, and exploring nature outdoors. She is especially fascinated by marine life and hopes to one day become an oceanographer engineer.
One of her favorite books, We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, helped shape her passion for protecting water, wildlife and the environment.
“She loves that nature is full of treasures to discover,” Martin's mother, Tiffany Cook, said. “Exploring outside helps her notice small details and learn how the natural world works.”
Martin is a member of an after-school gardening club and regularly helps clean up litter near Shrewsbury High School. She also enjoys creating “mud kitchen” recipes using rocks, acorns, leaves, and flowers she finds outdoors.
Her favorite animal is the boto, or pink river dolphin, from the Amazon.
“She was fascinated that baby dolphins are gray but adults turn pink,” Cook said. “Grey loves animals that make her curious and remind her why protecting rivers, oceans, forests, and wildlife habitats matters.”
Martin says one of her favorite outdoor activities is walking with her family to pick up trash along roads and walking paths, according to her mom.“She believes taking care of the Earth starts with small actions everyone can take," her mom said.
Martin hopes to use this experience to encourage other children to get excited about animals, climate awareness, and protecting the planet. If she wins, she plans to donate 25% of her winnings to local nonprofits and save the rest for her education.
Voting for semi-finalists ends Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. You can vote for Martin here.
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