So what does mental health have to do with our oceans? As it turns out, a lot! Close your eyes and imagine yourself on the beach. You can feel the sand beneath your toes, hear the waves crashing on the shore, and breathe in the fresh sea air. Take a moment to assess how that image made you feel. Do you feel at ease?

We’re starting a new blog series here at Sea Smart! We’ll be highlighting some of the awesome people who work with Sea Smart to gain some insight into all of the roles that help shape our organization. Volunteers, board members, educators, parents, teachers, administrative coordinators, marketing advisors and so many more are crucial to Sea Smart’s continued growth. Consider this an inside scoop on the inner workings of Sea Smart. Up first is our Partnerships and Development Manager!

Are you looking for ways to reduce the amount of waste you produce during the holidays? What is a better gift than ensuring our oceans stay healthy for our children and future generations?

This holiday season, you may find yourself caught up in the hustle of Black Friday and Cyber Monday (there’s even a Red Thursday now!) If you think the holiday season is getting more and more commercialized, you’re not the only one.

My name is Hanna and I recently attended a Sea Smart summer camp. I first heard about Sea Smart at WE day this year when Dr. Elaine Leung spoke about global marine issues and the environment. I felt inspired because I am passionate about saving marine life and the health of our oceans. I want to learn how to educate other people so they can be more aware and hope that they take action.

When was the last time you went to the beach and looked for red seaweed? What about for sea stars? Crabs, jellyfish, animals you can’t name – they’re patterning BC’s coastline. Hiding between rocks, grappling onto algae, inside sea animals, you’ll also find plastic litter.

I’ve been working as a marine biologist for over 15 years around the world studying threatened species for various governments, universities, and NGOs. When I finished my PhD, I realized that over 30 of the species that I’ve worked or interacted with will go extinct. I felt upset, jaded, and a bit depressed (and many more sad emotions as you can imagine). Unwilling to accept defeat, I decided to tackle a new challenge: Let’s educate and inspire kids to love our oceans, and maybe they can convince their (sometimes stubborn) parents to take on actions to help our oceans!