The Echo: Quarterly Newsletter — Spring 2022
EARTHECHO CELEBRATES WORLD WATER DAY INTERNATIONALLY
This World Water Day, we found ourselves all over the map: Spain, Italy, and beyond. The celebration started with Philippe visiting local schools in Catalonia, hosting assemblies for students about protecting and managing local water resources. The following day, over 150 students and teachers gathered at CosmoCaixa Barcelona (science museum), where they connected with their local water resources through hands-on activities designed to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our ocean planet. This event was in held partnership with Guardiola Sala Foundation, Kimple, and Xylem, Inc.
READ MORE BY AMBASSADOR ARIADNA GONZÁLEZ
YLC & BOARD MEMBER ARMON ALEX REFLECTS ON HIS TIME AT THE OUR OCEAN CONFERENCE IN PALAU
Last month, EarthEcho joined government leaders, conservation organizations, scientists, entrepreneurs, and youth ocean advocates in Palau for the 7th Our Ocean Conference! With a strong focus on advancing ambitious action to protect our ocean planet, the Conference focused on six key themes – marine protected areas, climate change, maritime security, marine pollution, sustainable fisheries, and the blue economy. A central component to this year’s Conference was the voices of youth leaders, as seen through the nearly 50 youth delegates participating from around the world, including EarthEcho's own Armon Alex.
READ ARMON'S REFLECTIONS ON THE EVENT
YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER LELA DEVINE ELECTED TO THE EARTHECHO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
We are thrilled to announce that Lela DeVine has been elected to the EarthEcho International Board of Directors. Lela is a student at Columbia University studying cellular and molecular biology with a minor in science, ethics, and policy. Her environmental experience stems from extensive research endeavors with the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, where she focuses on marine pharmacology.
EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS COME TO LIFE AT AMERICAN FAMILY FIELD WITH SC JOHNSON & THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS™
In collaboration with SC Johnson and the Milwaukee Brewers™, EarthEcho welcomed nearly 400 students at the inaugural Waste-Free Crew celebration event at American Family Field. Seeing the excitement on the students' faces as they learned how to develop better habits to reduce their waste was truly something special. This event would not have been possible without the help of the incredible community partners in the greater Milwaukee area who hosted interactive stations for the students.
DONATIONS TO EARTHECHO ARE BEING MATCHED BY JACK JOHNSON'S "ALL AT ONCE" PROJECT
We are teaming up with musician and environmentalist Jack Johnson on his 2022 Summer Tour as an "All At Once" Non-Profit Partner! "All At Once" is Jack Johnson’s social action network connecting nonprofits with people who want to take action and give back to their community. Johnson’s foundation is matching donations contributed to us from April 1-October 15, 2022, up to a total of $2500.
WHERE ARE THE OURECHO CHALLENGE TEAMS NOW?
The OurEcho Challenge winning teams have been hard at work hosting biodiversity events in their communities. We're proud to be part of this important conservation work! Pictured above is Team Algae Biofiltration from Windermere Preparatory School in Florida, who recently hosted a Science Research Day alongside Headwaters Science Institute. During the event, over 150 students were tasked with evaluating the impact of environmental health on an ecosystem, particularly their school campus at WPS. Students conducted environmental sampling of soil and bodies of fresh, brackish, and saltwater to determine how ecological perimeters influence the environment.
READ MORE ABOUT OURECHO CHALLENGE TEAM UPDATES
PHILIPPE AND ASHLAN CARRY THE COUSTEAU LEGACY, VISITING THE ANTARCTIC FOR SOUTHERN OCEAN ADVOCACY
Philippe and Ashlan visited Antarctica and Chile in February to document the dire need for Southern Ocean conservation and the preservation of the intact and biodiverse Antarctic ecosystems for future generations. They traveled for five days around the Antarctic Peninsula, visiting penguin colonies and glaciers, filming whales and seals, and doing testing on phytoplankton populations.
READ MORE ABOUT THEIR EXCURSION
EARTHECHO YOUTH LEADERS UNITE TO RESTORE CRUCIAL COASTLINE HABITAT
Supporting youth leaders as they restore coastal habitats is a key component of our OceanEcho 30x30 campaign, providing an opportunity for local communities to connect with and understand the importance of ocean-based climate solutions and coastal protection. Last month, EarthEcho YLC members joined RISE and dozens of local youth leaders in Far Rockaway, NY, for an Earth Day cleanup and dune planting project, restoring critically important coastal plants in this barrier island habitat. The following week, EarthEcho youth leaders teamed up with Tampa Bay Watch in southwest Florida on a reef ball building project. Working with local volunteers, they built 30 new concrete reef ball structures that will be utilized to restore local marsh habitats in the Tampa Bay region. Stay tuned for more updates on our coastal habitat restoration initiatives being driven by youth leaders around the world!
NEW PARTNERSHIP COMES TO LIFE WITH IN-PERSON WATER MONITORING EVENT WITH 300 STUDENTS IN NEW JERSEY
We recently announced a new partnership with Nephros, Inc., a leading water technology company providing innovative filtration and pathogen detection solutions. The partnership launched on April 27th with 300 middle school students at Westwood Regional Middle School in Westwood, NJ. The event provided a unique opportunity for young people to connect with their local water resources and Nephros volunteers. Participants engaged in hands-on learning activities focused on testing the health of Musquapsink Brook and the implementation of the EarthEcho Water Challenge. Participating classroom scientists have the opportunity to share their water quality data in EarthEcho’s global database and take further action to protect their local water resources and join EarthEcho’s global network of youth leaders.
WE'RE HIRING! CURRICULUM AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
We have an immediate opening for a Curriculum and Professional Development Director to develop ocean and environmental education resources for formal teaching and informal, self-directed learning by youth. We are seeking a self-directed manager with expertise developing high-quality learning materials both for youth to directly access virtually and for the instructor-led environment.