06/11/2014
Que salto...
Really, we are over-the-moon ecstatic :)
Photo: Nelly SPL / NRB Photography
Ocean Defender, Dave Nelson
www.OceanDefenderHawaii.com/join/
Mahalo nui loa!
Prints available, contact Dave Nelson. We have linked him above.
Ocean Defender’s mission: Teach, Connect, Protect
We are a sustainable lifestyle global movement geared toward protecting and restoring the health of ocean and marine communities.
Saving the ocean begins at home. We teach this through compassion, arts, science and actions. We inspire with aloha, children and families to become conscious advocates and empowered citizens of the world living in harmony with the earth. Ocean Defender Foundation is a 501c-3 non-profit corporation.
A Brief History…
Ocean Defender Hawaii began 4 years ago through the passion and commitment of our founder, Oriana Kalama, on Maui. She single-handedly began rescuing turtles, showing up at city council meetings and creating children’s school programs in Maui to bring awareness to the plight of our ocean, reefs and shores and to shine a light on the need in Hawaii for sea animal protection. In that effort she began to ask other adults for assistance and expert knowledge. Her collaboration and growing connections with other environmentalists, world-renown photographers, oceanographers, marine biologists, big wave surfers, and Polynesian Voyaging communities as well as ocean lovers worldwide has now resulted in one of the most popular, shared and talked about ocean conservation social media sites on the internet; our page! We currently have over 300,000 members on the Ocean Defender-Hawaii page, half of which reside in the Hawaiian Islands along with 16 countries now starting their own Ocean Defender network. We are growing strong internationally!
Geological areas of impact, population served…
Ocean Defender Foundation is committed to first serving and establishing community roots in the state of Hawaii, and then spreading to other islands in Polynesia. Island environments are the most fragile on the planet and are even now impacted swiftly and severely by pollution, over-fishing and climate change. A large portion of our work is education and truth telling through our first-hand experiences of the ocean issues facing all of us. We believe by holding the Hawaiian Islands as an example, we can be a voice for the ocean to be heard around the world and help inspire true change.
Ocean Defender Foundation is leading by example in Hawaii, teaching the world how to clean up and restore our oceans and planet, beginning with the choices we make in our own homes. We believe, as Ocean Defenders that it is our duty to demonstrate a sustainable life-style that others can both replicate, enjoy and celebrate. We also believe the key to success is to align ourselves, and our mission, with other like-minded individuals and groups who practice the same values with our future generations in mind. Thank you for your consideration.
Each of our volunteer, Executive Board members and individual Ocean Defender Team’s accomplishments and skill, stand on their own. We are uniting our efforts, to take eco-awareness and a sustainable lifestyle to an entirely new level. We are not aware of any other environmental non-profit who have started a global movement through creating a critical mass, using social media. Every week we receive numerous requests from people from all around the world asking how they can volunteer or help our cause. This is one of our most powerful tools and we will continue to utilize this and other avenues to share our news, projects and initiatives as we grow. Many of our programs are outreach programs and we are always happy to promote grass roots organizations and campaigns. You can help by simply sharing our posts. We understand that some of our posts are difficult to like or share and ask you to consider the greater importance of the awareness message we attempt to promote by your understandably reluctant action of liking and sharing.
100 percent of all donations and monetary support via the sales of our products and adventure sailing cruises go back to our education and awareness campaigns. We are grateful for your generosity and always show our respect for your contributions by being mindful and treating your gifts with reverence and purpose.
Aloha, komo mai kau mapuna hoe. "Dip your paddle in."
Please join us in the effort. We are changing the world in a gentle way.
Your Ocean Defender ohana (family)
