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12-Year-Old's Flag to Fly Over NG Ship

Washington DCApril 14, 2010

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A judges panel that included marine explorers and conservationists Enric Sala, Sylvia Earle, Robert Ballard, Nancy Knowlton, and David de Rothschild selected ten top contenders from among hundreds of designs submitted to National Geographic Kids' Ocean Flag Contest. From the finalists, visitors to an online poll have chosen Illinois 12-year-old Rachana D.'s to fly above the ship on an upcoming National Geographic ocean research expedition.

In addition to their proposed flag designs, kids and young teens who entered the contest had to explain in a brief essay what ocean preservation and exploration meant to them. Here's what Rachana wrote:

"The ocean is a very important ecosystem on Earth because of all the creatures that live in it and all of the things that it provides for humans. We get to learn more about it by exploring it, while keeping it safe. The two hands in my picture represent all of the humans on this Earth and their responsibility in keeping the ocean safe. Just because the ocean is in our hands sometimes, doesn't mean that we can take over it. The anchor in the middle of the picture represents ocean exploration. Even though the anchor lies at the bottom of the ocean, it's not disturbing any of the creatures around it. Just like that, we should explore the ocean, but not destroy anything in it."

Follow National Geographic marine exploration at Ocean Now and find games, contests, activities, and learning resources for children and young teens on the National Geographic Kids website.

Winning flag entry by Rachana D.

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About The National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 15,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.