What is World Ocean Day?
We celebrate World Ocean Day to remind people of its importance. The ocean provides more than fifty percent of the air we breathe. It also absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the ocean helps to regulate our climate. World Ocean Day is a day to think about how one can protect this valuable asset.
Are you an ocean person?
World Ocean Day is a good day to reflect on this. I am an ocean person. My grandparents lived near the ocean when I was growing up. I loved to play in the water, search the tide pools for living creatures, collect shells and sea glass, and climb on the rocks when I was a child. Today, my favorite vacations are those that take me to the ocean. Last summer, my husband and I were lucky enough to go to Okinawa to visit our daughter and son-in-law, who was stationed there with the Marines. Okinawa is an island and has many beaches.
Not what I expected!
A short walk from their home led us to a beach. This beach was very polluted. My daughter sent me this picture that she took when they volunteered at a beach clean-up a few months ago.
Now, this is more like it!
This is a picture of me walking on the other side of the islands. The beaches were much cleaner there!
Our oceans are suffering.
The contrasting views really got me thinking about the problems our oceans are facing. I have spent a lot of time reading and learning about it. Naturally, I wanted to share some of what I learned. I created a resource for my Teacher’s Pay Teacher’s shop about the human impact on our environment with a focus on plastics in our oceans.
I went to see Lidia the Seal and many other sea creatures, designed by Angelina Haseltine Pozzi. She designs and collaborates with other artists. They create sculptures made out of debris that is collected on the Pacific Coast. She works with an organization called Washed Ashore to bring awareness to the plight of our oceans.
I want my children and grandchildren to be able to be ocean people! I am trying to do my part by bringing awareness to the plight of the ocean and reducing my use of plastics. So is Angela. What can you do to help this fantastic, natural resource? World Ocean Day is a great day to start!
Together we can make a difference!
