Elinor Ostrom

Hello! My name is Elinor, but my friends call me Lin. I was born a long time ago, in the year 1933. When I was a little girl, I loved puzzles. I especially liked thinking about how people can share things fairly. It was like figuring out how to share toys in a sandbox so everyone gets a turn to play and has fun together.

As I grew up, I looked at bigger sharing puzzles. I wondered about things that belong to everyone, like a big forest or a lake full of fish. How could people share the wood from the trees or the fish from the water without taking too much? I wanted to find the answer, so I traveled to places all around the world. I watched how real people solved these puzzles in their own towns and villages.

I discovered something wonderful! I found that when people talked to each other and made their own rules for sharing, they did a great job. They worked together to take care of their forests and lakes. By sharing and cooperating, they made sure there was enough for everybody, for today and for the future. For this big idea, I was given a very special award in 2009 called the Nobel Prize. It made me so happy to know my idea was important.

I lived to be 78 years old and passed away in 2012. People remember me for showing the world that working together is a superpower. My work helps people remember that sharing and cooperating are the best ways to take care of our beautiful planet for everyone.