Nature Links Letter to the Editor
After a busy fall session, our Nature Links participants recently had the chance to reflect back on the important learning we’ve done on the ocean plastic crisis. We began our learning back in September by discussing our own personal connections to the sea and identifying marine animals we care about and appreciate. From there we conducted an audit of our own homes, identifying all the items we own that are made of plastic. We learned about the history of plastic production and how pollution is created during the lifecycle of plastic products. We then dove deep into the problem at hand—the harmful increase of plastic pollution in our oceans, including that of microplastics, tiny bits of plastic that are expected to outnumber fish within the next 30 years. We identified the problem behind single-use plastic and learned about how more than half of the plastic produced worldwide is intended to be used only once and then thrown away. We were saddened but emboldened by what we learned. We came away with a deeper concern for the creatures we love in the sea and the motivation to take action.
Throughout our fall unit, Nature Links participants have become informed activists with important knowledge to share with others on how plastic pollution is impacting our oceans. We got the opportunity to make our voices heard by working with Chrissy Adamowicz from the Natural Resources Council of Maine. Chrissy’s job is to work with schools and education organizations to take action in response to the issues of food waste and plastic pollution. Chrissy helped us collectively write a letter to the editor that synthesizes our learning on ocean plastic and urges our neighbors and communities to reduce their consumption of plastic this holiday season. Here’s what we wrote:
Dear Editor,
We are students from Nature Links, a non-profit education organization in Blue Hill. We are a group of adult learners who care about the environment. We live all over the state of Maine, including Surry, Blue Hill, Brooklin, Bar Harbor and Belfast. We live in communities that share a strong connection to the ocean. For the past few months we have been learning about how plastic pollution can hurt our oceans and marine animals. Did you know that plastic kills more than 1 million marine animals each year? Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down in our environment and tiny bits of plastic called microplastics can even be found in our bodies! By 2050, it is expected that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. During this holiday season, there are many ways we can all reduce our use of plastic. At celebrations, bring reusable silverware and plates instead of single-use plastic. Consider making your own holiday decorations from natural materials or even recycle old newspapers and magazines as wrapping paper. Local restaurants can also choose to give their customers plastic-free cutlery, plates, bowls, cups and straws. We can all choose to buy food and presents from local stores to reduce plastic packaging and support the businesses in our own communities. Plastic pollution is a world wide crisis, and if we don’t stop it no one else is going to. Keep spreading the word and doing your part to keep plastic from polluting our oceans we all treasure.
Derian Gatewood, Paula Bush, Gabe Millay, Zubin Grogg, Max Pennesi and Ezra Halkett
As we put the finishing touches on our letter, we’ll send it off to various newspapers across the state of Maine. Our hope is that the letter will plant a seed in the minds of our neighbors, friends and families. If we all did more to raise awareness around plastic pollution and reduce the consumption of plastic in our own homes, we could make an enormous impact on the fate of our oceans. I hope you’ll find our letter to the editor in your local paper this holiday season. I’m so proud of our Nature Links participants on taking action on this important issue.
