FIELD NOTES FROM WORLD OCEANS DAY
In this VERY special edition, we ask Parley’s teams to share their thoughts and firsthand observations from an inspiring global week of action – #FORTHEOCEANS
“Reconnecting people with the ocean, where we all come from, is powerful”
Philip Zerr – Parley Sri Lanka
New York City
“During our cleanup at Rockaway Beach, one moment that stayed with me was the children helping us consolidate all the individual trash bags into larger collection bags, completely unprompted. At one point, a colleague’s daughter looked up and said, ‘I wish people wouldn't litter. It's so easy to take a little bit longer to throw the trash away in the trash can. It's not hard.’ It was a simple but powerful reminder that awareness and care for the oceans can start so young, and that the next generation is already paying attention.”
– Riley Freitas, Parley HQ Team
South Africa
“On World Oceans Day, The Litterboom Project hosted a Beach Jam Session at Umgeni Beach and the Beachwood Mangroves — a vital estuarine ecosystem facing constant pressure from upstream pollution. One observation? Polystyrene! Loads of broken down polystyrene on our beaches. One local school that attended a previous Beach Jam Session was so impacted by what they saw that they chose to ban polystyrene on campus, a small but significant step in the right direction.”
– Casey Pratt, The Litterboom Project / Parley South Africa
“We were excited to host our annual World Oceans Day cleanup in the coastal town of Kalk Bay, where divers and land-based volunteers come together every year to give back to the community. However, we were sadly let down when we had to cancel the cleanup because of a big storm coming our way. Looking back at the huge and inspiring number of collaborators who hopped on board for World Oceans Day was incredible to see. Despite Kalk Bay being canceled, 105 past and present Parley Ocean School participants rallied together at the Parley AIR Station. After the big cleanup, we had lunch, played soccer and had dance-off competitions to end the day on a high note!”
– Jethro C. Perry, Sentinel Ocean Alliance / Parley South Africa
Mexico
“One of the most memorable moments of this World Oceans Day was definitely our underwater cleanup in Cozumel. It was an incredible experience to recover over 110kg of debris, including a boat engine, and to see the tangible difference we made. We also rescued a variety of marine creatures from the debris and returned them to the ocean – crabs, worms and even an eel – highlighting the resilience of marine life when given a chance to thrive.”
– Ximena Arvizu, Parley Mexico
“when you get a community working together to make a place more beautiful, it inspires others”
Manny Pangilinan – Parley Hawaiʻi
Papua New Guinea
On June 7, Parley collaborated with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), the University of Papua New Guinea and local partners to carry out a large-scale cleanup of a vital nature reserve located just south of Port Moresby, in Hanuabada and Tatana. This area is home to mangrove forests and seagrass beds – critical ecosystems for coastline protection, wildlife and carbon sequestration. Nearly 200 volunteers participated in this, our first cleanup effort in Papua New Guinea, spreading out along the mangrove forests and collecting a staggering 1.4 tons of plastic waste. Together, we not only removed visible trash but also raised awareness about the urgent need to address plastic pollution at its source.”
– Christian Miller, Parley Australia
Argentina
“This World Oceans Day, we hosted a different type of event where people connected with the sea and its beauty right in the heart of the city – bringing the ocean to those who don’t have it nearby in their daily lives and reminding us all that the oceans are always present, no matter where we are.”
– Victoria Rosker, Parley Argentina
Sri Lanka
"A huge part of Sri Lanka’s underwater world remains undiscovered and undocumented. Seeing so many people come together this year to experience glimpses of the beauty beneath the surface was really special. Education, when paired with emotional connection, becomes transformation. Reconnecting people with the ocean, where we all come from, is powerful. In our case, it’s the power of imagery that creates these moments of hope. Moments that remind us, even in a turbulent world, that we’re on the right path.”
– Philip Zerr, Parley Sri Lanka
Hawaiʻi
“One thing I learned from our World Oceans Day restoration event at Wāwāmalu is that when you get a community working together to make a place more beautiful, it inspires others, makes all participants feel awesome and, in the end, creates a more healthy and rich environment and culture – and isn’t that what life’s all about?”
– Manny Pangilinan, Parley Hawaiʻi
“the oceans are always present, no matter where we are”
Victoria Rosker – Parley Argentina
Chile
“The most important thing about World Oceans Day, commemorated at Chile's National Congress, was seeing so many social organizations from all over the country gathered in one place, united for the protection of the oceans. This year, the call-to-action was the protection of the deep ocean. Large organizations are working with communities to empower them to conserve these ecosystems, and we presented Parley Ocean School to the Senate as one of the most important places promoting ocean culture in Chile.”
– Karina Villarroel, Escuela del Oceano Chile Manager
Seychelles
“To honour World Oceans Day and World Environment Day, we organized five simultaneous beach cleanups across Mahé – a huge group effort made possible with the incredible support of the Seychelles Ministry of Environment and their partners. Together, we intercepted an astounding 611.5 kg, highlighting the threat of plastic pollution. We then shifted from action to celebration with a magical ocean night. This open mic event saw voices rang out in poems, songs, and heartfelt stories: each one a tribute to the sea that surrounds and sustains us. The event also featured ocean-themed face paintings, handcrafted crochet sea creatures and locally made juices and chips. It all came together as a beautiful appreciation for our ocean with a Creole flair. A true celebration of our ocean heritage as an island nation.”
– Alvania Lawen, Parley Seychelles
Brazil
“Our World Oceans Day action in Ilha de Cocaia went far beyond activism; it was a moment of contemplation and connection between volunteers and the oceans. From the boat crossing to a hike with waste collection, the planting of native mangrove seedlings and a beautiful group conversation to reflect on everything that was experienced that day... one of the most memorable moments for our team was when one of the children present, a local surfer, felt moved to experience this moment of awareness and asked to be invited to more actions like this.”
– Thais Goncalves, Parley Brazil
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