Take Action
Yourself.
What actions in your day to day life have impacts on the waterways and aquatic life?
Your community.
What events are happening in your community? If you can’t find one, why not start your own community meet up?
Your travel.
When you travel whether near or far how might you be impacting the ocean?
Your favorite organizations.
Many organizations have dedicated their entire mission to saving threatened ecosystems and organisms. Look for opportunities to volunteer, donate, or attend awesome educational events!
Yourself.
Reducing single use plastics and moving to reusable cups is an awesome way to make your impact a positive one. Take a week to really take notice of your personal habits and how you live your daily life. Finding small ways to tweak your tools makes saving the ocean easier without the burden of shifting your habits too much. Whether you commute on your bike or in your car and make your coffee at home or get it from your favorite coffee shop on the way, there are always more sustainable solutions to make your life easier and the ocean a little safer.
Your community.
Whether you live along the coast or in a landlocked state, all waterways point to the ocean. Participating in beach or creek clean ups is a great way to get outdoors and keep the aquatic system a little cleaner. Take a look at local programs/companies and see if there are any events in your area where marine-minded community members meet up to volunteer or to talk about the ocean. This can be a great way to meet people and learn more about the ocean and how you can strengthen your impact.
Your travel.
Wherever you are your impact follows. Before you leave check out local conservation concerns at your destination. For example, if you’re planning a beach vacation or a diving adventure, make sure you pack reef safe sun screen. It’s important to remember the product you choose to put on your skin will come off when you’re in the water. Some sunscreens are harmful to ocean organisms and can contribute to coral bleaching. Another travel trip, make sure to look into every establishment you plan to visit. Avoid places that use animals for tourist traps. Stick with places, like official reserves and AZA accredited zoos that promote conservation and have high standards for animal welfare.
Your favorite organizations.
There are many organizations from AZA accredited zoos and aquariums to NGOs and your local/state park service that all work to make a difference. Look for organizations actively making a difference in conservation whether locally or globally. Many would like YOU to get involved. You can donate money to reputable conservation efforts, or you can buy a membership to your local AZA accredited zoo/aquarium. You can donate your time by volunteering to do outreach, collect data for citizen science projects, help remove invasive species, etc. You can also learn more from these organizations by attending their events and getting involved. Many organizations hold volunteer events to achieve specific goals or evening mixers to raise money to support conservation efforts and showcase local sustainable businesses.
Spread the word.
Share your excitement for your favorite marine habitats with your friends and family! It’s always more fun to experience the earth you love with the people you love.
