In DATE, I started SeaGuide, an initiative that helps people learn about marine and migratory species that are in trouble. The goal of SeaGuide is to teach people about taking care of the environment and to make sure they have access to good education about conservation. To do this I first wrote SeaTrack, a guide for teachers that has lots of activities for students. This guide teaches students about problems like pollution and animals losing their homes. It has explanations, stories and exercises where students can draw and observe the world around them. They learn about things like habitat loss, plastic pollution and why some animals are not migrating like they used to.
Then, I created SeaHatch, a series of children's books with pictures that teach students about taking care of the environment. One of the books is called Olive Ridley’s First Journey. It is about a little sea turtle that gets help from people in the community to get to the ocean. This story teaches students about sea turtles. How to take care of the beach. Another book is called Wilbur the Witty Godwit. It is about a young bird that has to navigate through changing migration routes because its home is being destroyed. This story helps students understand why we need to protect the places where birds live and fly through.
Additionally, I organized the SeaWaves Fundraiser, which was a crowdfunding campaign on Milaap that worked with Dream Future. The goal of the SeaWaves Fundraiser was to raise money for SeaGuide and to pay for field trips for students who cannot afford them. We used the money to take students from NGO NAME to AREA Beach for a field trip called the SeaTracks Field Visit. During the visit the students learned about conservation efforts to save animals that live on the beach they listened to an expert. They saw firsthand the problems that affect the ocean and the animals that live there.
Finally, I developed the SeaGuide Migratory Routes Model, which is an educational activity that lets students see how the migration routes of birds and marine species have changed over time. Students use data, simple maps and comparisons to see how the routes have shifted over time because of habitat loss, climate change and things that people have done. To help with this I also wrote a commentary that looks at how migration patterns have changed over time and what challenges we will face in the future to protect animals that migrate.
Through all of these efforts SeaGuide wants to make sure that everyone has access to education about the environment and to encourage young people to speak up for marine and migratory species that are in trouble especially in the Global South.