FIELD NOTES
This month, we travel to Argentina, Mexico and Sri lanka – where our riverboom installation is attracting some unusual visitors
ARGENTINA
a weekend of action to kick off 2025
As a new year begins for our global teams, Parley Argentina hosted a busy weekend to kick off 2025 starting with an incredible day in Mar del Plata: an iconic surf beach south of Buenos Aires. The Friday event began with a beach cleanup and Parley talk about the importance of protecting our oceans. Volunteers collected over 100 kilos of waste then joined a surf class led by Lele Usuna – during which 20 of the participants surfed for the first time in their lives. Everyone then regrouped for a screening of Martina Álvarez's documentary Missing Sharks, followed by a talk by the filmmaker about marine wildlife and her journey as an ocean explorer. Finally, the team hosted an art workshop led by Mora Álvarez where participants customized bamboo toothbrushes. Every moment was about connection, action and ocean care.
On Saturday, the Argentina team was back in action for a beach cleanup in Costa Esmeralda, Pinamar, where 15 girls learned about ocean plastic pollution during a special workshop. On Sunday, the team hosted a final cleanup to close out the weekend with 30 participants collecting 58 kilos of waste.
“Beyond the impact of the cleanup we received lots of positive feedback from people at the beach,” explains Rocio Prado of Parley Argentina, “reinforcing the importance of these actions. Additionally, we strengthened our network of ocean warriors, who will be essential for our ongoing work in Argentina and beyond.”
MEXICO
Working for plastic-free islands
Parley Mexico also launched 2025 with a bang, hosting events in Isla Mujeres and Isla Cozumel. The team's mission is to advocate for single-use-plastic-free islands, and they made significant progress in January with a major cleanup on Isla Mujeres. Over 100 volunteers joined forces to clean up the SacBajo mangrove, collecting almost 1,000 kilos of waste!
In Cozumel, the team hosted a Saturday morning session that combined yoga, a cleanup and a planning session facilitated by experts from Mexico City. The event brought key members of the community together to strategize key actions for a plastic-free and more sustainable island. Parley Mexico's vision for 2025 is to support and advocate for single-use-plastic-free islands, aligning with the state law that prohibits single-use plastic items in natural protected areas and islands due to their fragile ecosystems. The team is committed to making a positive impact and ensuring a bright future for these beautiful and biodiverse places in Mexico.
SRI LANKA
Local wildlife creates unexpected challenges
Since the installation of their first riverboom in 2023, our team in Sri Lanka has intercepted over 95 tons of mixed waste – preventing more than 38 tons of plastic waste from reaching the ocean. After the launch of their second riverboom at Maggona in October, they found themselves dealing with an unexpected challenge in January: thanks to persistent heavy rain, crocodiles started popping up closer to the coastline.
“One of these charming prehistoric visitors decided to make its way down to our location,” explains Sri Lanka coordinator Philip Zerr. “After it was spotted lounging on a riverbank near our hub – and following the suspiciously timed disappearance of two local dogs – our team decided to ramp up safety measures for staff and visitors. We’re now working with the Wildlife Department to relocate our scaly buddy to a more appropriate neighborhood.”
While there is still a lot of work to do, including crocodile management, the impact of the new riverboom in Maggona is already visible. The highly polluted river mouth is now, after initial cleanups, almost plastic-free and the installation is intercepting about 2.5 tons of plastic every week.
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