Tag: oceans

I have been working hard to complete a solid first draft of the bee book before the kids get out of school on June 12. I had high hopes for this goal. Until …

other deadlines crept up on me (my website update is due any day now);

and baseball season dipped into overdrive (three kids, two fields, five games, seven days);

and my Interlibrary Loan books arrived (I have been waiting for my turn with THIRTEEN REASONS WHY forever);

and the stomach bug paid a visit (two of my three kids, my sister, and my babysitter have all been knocked out with bad stomachs and/or stuffy heads).

I have not thrown in the towel, but I’ve been wringing it nervously in my hands and wondering how a girl is supposed to be devoted to a goal under such conditions.

And then I read today’s report from Roz Savage, who is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, headed to Hawaii in a rowboat. Alone. And the dear girl set me straight. Throw in the towel? I bet Roz doesn’t even own a towel! Her motto, she says, is “Discipline must be maintained.” What does discipline mean when you are rowing from California to Hawaii?

“I’ve fallen naturally back into the routine I used on the Atlantic, of 3 hours on, 1 hour off for logbook update and a meal. Repeat 5 times a day.”

Good Lord.

::slinking back to my keyboard, folding towel neatly into desk drawer, and getting to work::

 

Some people do their part for the ocean by consuming less plastic. Others collect and count trash at the beach. A few brave and amazing people take to the ocean itself in hopes of inspiring others to the cause of ocean protection.

Roz Savage, for example, has rowed across the Atlantic Ocean. What she saw during that journey inspired her to make humankind more aware of our oceans and their plight. And so, three days ago, Roz set off from the Golden Gate Bridge toward Hawaii on the first leg of her three-part, three-year row across the Pacific. Alone. She blogs from sea, and if you are all interested in the status of our oceans, or in the depth of human courage and endurance, you’ll want to follow her journey.

Dr. Marcus Eriksen embarks June 1st on a similar voyage. Marcus is not rowing to Hawaii, though. He’s sailing. On a boat made out of fifteen thousand plastic bottles. Why? In his words, “Because there’s just too much plastic clogging the oceans. The world needs to realize this.” Marcus is a colleague of Captain Charlie Moore’s at the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and I had the pleasure of meeting him while researching TRACKING TRASH. To learn more about his mission, and to follow his journey, check out his blog.

Me and Dr. Eriksen aboard the Alguita, circa 2005

Following these two mighty conservationists as they travel the seas would be a great way to celebrate World Ocean Day, which is June 8. You could also spread the word about their efforts, visit and appreciate an ocean near you, register for the International Coastal Cleanup, or eat ocean-friendly seafood. Hey, you might even buy someone you love a copy of TRACKING TRASH.

For more ideas to celebrate the ocean, check out this World Ocean Day website.