HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — It takes less than five minutes to tell that 8-year-old Brielle "Breezy" Leonard is fearless when it comes to snakes, bugs, and creepy crawlies—and she has a mission bigger than most adults—she wants to save the planet.
WATCH: Local 8-year-old nature lover competes for National Junior Ranger title
The first step to that? Not becoming an astronaut, doctor, or NFL player, but becoming a junior ranger, and you can help her get there.
"She's like one with Mother Nature," says April Leonard, Breezy's mother. "She really just wants to have every opportunity to learn more about animals, nature, any kind of bugs, trees, she's all about it."
Which is why Breezy applied to the national junior ranger contest, where she and her mom have been showcasing her love of nature, animals, and the environment for Facebook votes.
"We've got people who are doing the daily votes; we've got people who are donating, but now it's gotten intense because everyone who has made it to the top of their final round, now we're all in a one big pool for quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the big shebang," April Leonard said.
Breezy is now one of the final contestants for the national contest, but they still have a week of voting to go. The prize for the winner is a cash prize of $20,000 and a mentorship with Jeff Corwin.
"She has seen a couple snippets of his shows," April Leonard said. "I pull them up on YouTube, and she is just hooked. Any kind of nature show—she loves it."
It's free to vote once a day, or you can donate for additional votes with all proceeds going to the National Wildlife Federation.
But for Breezy, it's all about how she can learn to better help the planet.
"I would want to meet Jeff Corwin and have him teach me how I can save the planet and have other people save the planet," Breezy said.
Her mom says if Breezy wins, she plans to donate the $20,000 to various charities.
"Really showcasing her beautiful curiosity of nature and showing people that she truly is a great fit for this contest."
The junior ranger site can be difficult to navigate, so make sure to follow the link here to vote for Brielle "Breezy" Leonard.
