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It's easy to forget that the ocean provides us with much of the food we eat and the air we breathe, and that ocean wildlife and habitats are facing extinction. Climate change, oil drilling and international shipping are just a few of the ocean's assailants. Luckily, we have Planet Green's non-profit partner The Ocean Conservancy on the scene to help us.
If you want to "look beneath the surface of the ocean to see where the health of our planet really begins," as Ocean Conservancy states in its mission statement, then this the perfect place for you to begin volunteering. Make it your Earth Day mission to get involved with this group, which uses research, education, and science-based advocacy to send the important message of sustainable sea management to Capital Hill.
Earth Day Activities and Volunteering at The Ocean Conservancy
Fishy Business: If marine cuisine sends your lips a-smackin', help support a more sustainable seafood supply by tapping into Ocean Conservancy's Fishery to Fork program. With over-fishing, water contamination and other less than pleasant business practices playing an ugly toll on our fish supply, this initiative couldn't have come at a better time. One easy way to take action is by urging your Representative and Senator to take bold leadership against offshore fish farming. Let them know about its whole host of consequences including the spread of disease, genetic deformities from interbreeding and the mortality of birds and other marine mammals. Just sign the petition here on their site.
Shiny, Clean Coasts: September might seem a long way off, but it's certainly worth marking in your calendar. On that date, the Ocean Conservancy will be holding its twenty-fifth annual International Coastal Cleanup—an event that has volunteers around the world picking up litter such as plastic bags, bottles, cigarette butts, and straws from local beaches, lakes, and rivers. The success is astonishing! In 2008 alone, more than 11 million items were collected by participants. Not only was this a boon for the fish, but the organization used the data to identify where the trash came from in order to help prevent it in the future. In the words of Ocean Conservancy, "Rethink your relationship with the ocean and planet" and volunteer come fall!
For more ways to volunteer with The Ocean Conservancy, head to their website.
Return to our Non-Profit Earth Day Activities Main Page.
Return to the Earth Month main page.
