Picture Credit: Eleanor Church

Here at SHiFT we wanted to share with you some ideas and activities to help you make the most of the summer whilst implementing some positive changes and reducing the impact we have on our environment. Using SHiFT.How, we bring you 5 plastic-friendly solutions to brighten up your summer fun!

Picture Credit: Nita Jirgensone

#1 GREAT NURDLE HUNT

Nurdles are small plastic pellets which, when melted together, are used by industry to make nearly all our plastic products.

Fidra’s, The Great Nurdle Hunt map highlights nurdle pollution on coastlines and water bodies across the world.

Data is collected and submitted online by volunteer ‘nurdle hunters’. Taking part is easy, and can be done anywhere, anytime. All you have to do is count the number of nurdles you find, and submit your findings to their database.

These findings will then be uploaded onto the Great Nurdle Hunt online map, for everyone to see. 6598 nurdles hunts have already been completed and submitted.

#2 JOIN SUP KIDS PROGRAMME

Looking for some fun ways to engage your kids this summer?

Why not get them involved in the SUPKids Programme.

The program is designed to teach kids SUP, water safety and environmental education. It is run in an inclusive, non-competitive environment with a real focus on building self-esteem. They’ve taken environmental education out of the classroom, to the great outdoors.

SUPKids is partnered with leading SUP brand, Starboard, and now has 40+ schools globally and is committed to connecting kids into nature & teaching them to protect their planet.

Find out more here!

#3 MAKE ART USING PLASTIC

Have you ever tried creating art from plastic?

Upcycling plastic waste in art is a fantastic way to give plastic a second life and create something lasting that will spread awareness and bring joy too! Check out this page to learn about more fun ways to use art as a way to inspire change! It includes an easy step-by-step guide from eXXpedition Ambassador, architect and artist, Lula Gill!

#4 CARE, REPAIR AND MEND CLOTHES

Repairing and mending doesn’t mean we can’t afford to buy something new, it means we can’t afford something being thrown away. What used to be a badge of shame is now something to be proud of. Repairing clothes is practical, symbolic, creative and original. Fashion Revolution has a great ‘Repair and Mend‘ Guides that makes it easy to care for your favourite items!

#5 TRY PLASTIC FREE GARDENING 

As gardeners, we are surrounded by plastic with nearly every item we use when growing our own. Whether it be seed trays, plant pots, compost bags, plastic labels, plastic cloches, propagators and all other GYO accessories.

With Spring upon us, what better time to make your green-fingers even greener by SHiFTing to plastic-free gardening.

Check out Garden Ninja for some great tips to get you started!

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Your summer can still be action packed and fun, but by getting creative with these different ideas and activities you can try something new, shift your perspective and hopefully inspire others to do the same!

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With SHiFT, there are now hundreds of solutions available at just the click of your mouse. 

The Platform helps you to understand the crux of a problem and weigh up where your biggest opportunity to make an impact may be. 

We do not need everyone to do everything, but we do need everyone to do something. 

What will your next SHiFT be?

We encourage you to share your actions across social media to inspire others to join you in making a difference in their own lives, communities, businesses and wider world.

#jointheshift

The post Plastic Free Summer Solutions first appeared on eXXpedition.

The post Plastic Free Summer Solutions appeared first on eXXpedition.

She has sailed on three eXXpedition voyages and continues to support eXXpedition as a technical advisor and ambassador for the cause. We’ve been catching up with Lucy, about her recent projects and how they are enabling change.

When did you realise you wanted to be part of the solution for ocean plastic pollution?

It was whilst I was doing my biology degree at Exeter, specifically a module on ecotoxicology, lead me to volunteering in the Greenpeace laboratory. I learnt a lot from this time, particularly when helping to analyse seal and polar bear blubber to investigate organic pollutants, toxics and sediments. This experience began my journey to learn about the idea of environmental injustice in terms of chemical and toxic pollution around the world.

This led me to researching the Arctic. I learnt that indigenous communities living there had some of the highest body burden in the world; that mothers were passing on toxics while feeding their children, and that these were coming from industrial pollution generated by societies they weren’t part of, yet were still impacted by them. My interest in this unjust situation drove me towards my work in policy, beginning with my job at DEFRA. 

It was around this time I met Emily! During a presentation in London, I remember her showing me these plastic fragments that had been found in fish, along with pictures of plastic pollution in the middle of nowhere. Given the overlap in our interests we decided to team up and begin the adventure that led to eXXpedition!

What happened next, after DEFRA?

I was at DEFRA around the time of the debate around the plastic bag charge to be introduced to supermarkets. However, despite the evidence, the science and the facts, policymakers still faced opposition from the media. The government was looking to make changes, but couldn’t because of the strong opposition. For the policy to come into effect, I observed how we needed the media and civil society onside. Facts and science alone were not cutting it, we needed storytelling. I realised then that there was a huge gap with positive storytelling about environmental change – which needed to be closed for environmental policy to be more successful, and eXXpedition was exactly that.

“I realised then that there was a huge gap with positive storytelling about environmental change” 

We put ourselves out there, gathered scientific evidence and began to relay our experiences to others. Rather than being a scientist saying, “we’ve done this research and we’re gonna tell you what to do”, instead we created a message that said “we’ve looked at ourselves, this is what we found, this is how it affected us, and how it may affect you”. Telling stories and sharing experiences has greater power to make people care and take action. We set out to try and connect the threads between consumerism, the industrial processes, the environmental impact and most importantly, the consequences of exposure to chemicals and plastics and the long term implications on our health and the environment.

What’s your role at Seas At Risk?

I am involved in three main projects. I created ‘One Planet Shipping’, a system change project looking holistically at the future of the shipping industry: how trade volumes will change; the effect of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals; which parts of shipping will be profitable; and what that means for infrastructure and policy.

Secondly, I am working on a project called Ambition 2030, which sets ambitious climate goals for the industry for 2030, 2040, and 2050 to ensure the industry isn’t putting off the hard work. Instead we create robust targets to build reliable infrastructure, which is the insurance we need for the future. There’s a whole system that needs to shift and in order to do that, we need to have waymarkers, with clear reduction targets. We are really busy arguing for that with key players at the UN agency for shipping which is the International Maritime Organisation, but also in EU policy advocacy fora like the European Parliament and the European Commission. 

Lastly, I am an EU technical adviser to the Clean Arctic Alliance, an alliance of 21 NGOs advocating for policy to prevent shipping pollution in the Arctic, such as banning heavy fuel oil and reducing black carbon emissions. Part of this work is also about connecting with indigenous communities, and supporting their voices amongst policy making circles.

“Policy makers need to ensure they are acknowledging that people from different places will all have different priorities and perspectives.” 

What does successful policy making look like to you?

At Seas At Risk we are lucky to have a wide network with global reach, which is both exciting and key to successful policy making. Diversity of voices is crucial and having access to a global network gives you this. We’ve got lawyers, engineers, ecologists, scientists and many more. In every meeting or conference, I am always inspired by the variety of different people coming together to solve a problem. Policy makers need to ensure they are acknowledging that people from different places will all have different priorities and perspectives. Finding harmony between these differences is what makes for successful policy.

“Ultimately the economy needs to be rebalanced. We need to redesign the system for growth and efficiency, whilst also bringing resilience and equity.”

What’s next for the shipping industry? What would you like to see happen?

It’s important to use the renewable energy we have available. Wind propulsion, for example, is an energy source that is often left out of the decarbonisation conversation. Whilst it’s gaining traction, it needs to be given greater attention – the cheapest fuel for decarbonisation is the one that you don’t need!

Following on from an eXXpedition ethos, it’s also important to think about what we’re consuming and producing. Keeping ourselves accountable and asking ourselves: do we really need all of these things; could we reuse things instead? Should we be enabling a society that’s able to consume 37 kilos of clothes a year and throw most of them away within six months? We need to shift away from wasteful, hyper-consuming culture. 

Though this may seem unrelated to the shipping industry, its growth and management correlates to demand. We need to cut that energy and material demand. Plastics and chemicals are classified as novel entities under the planetary boundaries framework. We’re already exceeding the safe planetary boundary for these materials into the environment.

Obviously, the story is different in different parts of the world. There are areas where the standard of living needs to improve which may mean more shipping to allow certain products and materials to get to their shores. Ultimately the economy needs to be rebalanced. We need to redesign the system for growth and efficiency, whilst also bringing resilience and equity.

“…the cheapest fuel for decarbonisation is the one that you don’t need!”

What are your plans moving forward?

Continuing to improve the shipping industry and understanding the relationship between shipping, trade and climate justice. I’ve also never been to the Arctic so that’s something I would love to do. Having done all the work I have there, I’m desperate to go experience it first hand and even hopefully see orcas in the wild!

“…the energy that comes from joining the dots for people, of giving them that “catalyst” lightbulb moment. That’s what I live for.”

What is it that keeps you kind of motivated and inspired to keep pushing for change and action?

Collaboration. And the energy that comes from joining the dots for people, of giving them that “catalyst” lightbulb moment. That’s what I live for. I’m all about dot joining and unearthing those moments for others. I think making connections between people or issues is my superpower!

The post Lucy Gilliam Superpower Story first appeared on eXXpedition.

The post Lucy Gilliam Superpower Story appeared first on eXXpedition.

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and how you would describe your superpower?

I am a social scientist and writer currently working on climate, health and their interconnections, encompassing oceans, forests, food systems, medicines, humanitarian issues, conflict, migration, culture and more. These cascading crises disproportionately affect communities and Indigenous groups who have long stewarded the land and today 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity. 

I also do conceptual art. I believe in the importance of storytelling, speaking with affected communities, working with scientists, artists and policymakers. It’s all very well having the science, but how do we translate it? How do we ensure people are able to understand the science and how it is applicable to them? For me, art is a storytelling tool that allows people to make sense of the science. And that’s why I believe it’s my superpower because I can help connect ideas and people!

“It’s all very well having the science, but how do we translate it?”

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently writing a piece inspired by my experience with MSF at COP27. Having all the pavilions sit alongside each other and listen to their concerns and the actions they are taking felt like a very powerful form of diplomacy to me. It got me thinking about the voice of the ocean. Who speaks for the ocean? What does its advocacy look like? 

This visit also gave me the opportunity to see Sharm El Sheik’s surprisingly resilient and beautiful coral and ocean life up close. I’m going to create a visual piece to share my experience in the Red Sea, and some of the advocacy questions also inspired by the Ocean Pavilion and the climate conference itself.

“The understanding you gain from witnessing the problem firsthand and contributing to research and policy change with eXXpedition is extraordinary.”

How did you get involved with eXXpedition?

I had recently returned from Antarctica from a Women in Science expedition. A journalist from Deutsche Welle (DW) in Germany contacted me about my previous environmental work in Svalbard and a related exhibition on it, and about a civilian Antarctic cleanup I’d led in 1995/96 for a story. He mentioned the work of eXXpedition so I did some research, was immediately enamoured and put my application forward!

“It gave me a heightened sense of connection and respect for the engagement with multiple key actors in action – that we weren’t just there pontificating and doing research, but collaborating and bringing different pieces of the puzzle together.”

What surprised you most during the voyage?

Realising the depth of the problem whilst collecting samples is definitely high up there. The understanding you gain from witnessing the problem firsthand and contributing to research and policy change with eXXpedition is extraordinary.

eXXpedition’s impactful approach of not only collecting plastic and water samples, but partnering with research institutions and organisations, doing local clean ups, meeting with stakeholders gave me a heightened sense of connection. Engaging with multiple key factors meant that we weren’t just there pontificating and doing research, but collaborating and bringing different pieces of the puzzle together!

There was also one poignant moment that really stuck with me. It was early one sunny morning, and we were going through one of the locks to get to Loch Ness with some of us still in our pyjamas. Whilst preparing to go through the loch, above us there were some male sailors looking at us perplexed. One of them asked, “Hang on, wait a minute, are you all women?” And I said, “Yeah!”. He then asked, “How many women are below deck?” And I said “300!”. It was a good laugh, but it stuck with me how surprised they were. All these cool and accomplished women were taking part and I’m so pleased I had the fortune to sail with them. That modelling of women in science and sport alongside the tangible research that eXXpedition contributes to on ocean plastics and concrete solutions, was a powerful takeaway, and one that has stayed with me and informed my work since.

Lastly, I think the experience of living on a sailboat for nearly two weeks taught me so much. I came to view the sailboat as a microcosm for how life should be led back on shore – depending on one another, collaborating together, relying on each other for our wellbeing and having all that we needed with us, to care for and share. 

“I came to view the sailboat as a microcosm for how life should be led back on shore – depending on one another, collaborating together, relying on each other for our wellbeing and having all that we needed with us, to care for and share.” 

How did your superpower come to life onboard?

I wrote during the voyage, though I got seasick writing below deck! At the Edinburgh Festival we also had an opportunity to collaborate with ASCUS Science & Art Lab to create an interactive event to shine a light on the voyage, the plastics issue and the solutions. We put plastics we had found under a microscope and ask people to come in and pretend that they’re 400 years in the future and are looking back in time at these “artefacts” that these female sailors collected at sea in 2017.

They’d soon realise that what they were looking at was not amazing or precious, like pottery, or clever inventions, like arrowheads or pyramids. Instead, it would be things that don’t break up or break down. Just ordinary, mundane objects – visa cards, plastic polar fleece threads, nurdles, tampon packages – that we left behind.  

The impact was tangible and we had a lot of fun doing it. I humbly helped shape and write about the wonderful immersive experience with my fellow eXXpedition crew. The experience made me realise I have an apt for storytelling and pinpointing the essence to retell them years later. The power of storytelling and my ability to write showed me how it could help inspire, inform, connect people and communicate the science. 

How has the experience influenced your work since?

After the voyage, I did a TEDx called Ocean Love – Cleaning up our Plastic Mess. MY experience with eXXpedition helped me to communicate with a greater depth of understanding and with knowledge of  policy advocacy. I talked about the voyage and its connection to the cleanups I did in Antarctica and Svalbard prior to eXXpedition. The experience allowed me to communicate the fact that the problem is ubiquitous. It’s not something that exists far away and out of sight, but on our shores, in Europe, in Canada, on remote Atoll islands, at the poles – everywhere. And it is mitigable and preventable. 

Whilst I’ve always had a huge love for the ocean, it was always something that I considered slightly separate from the medical humanitarian issues I’ve dealt with in my work. However, eXXpedition helped me understand just how interconnected the ocean is to climate and human health. Now, I consider topics I have always been interested in and ask where and how our ocean connects to them. The ocean is a source for so many things but it is under threat from climate change, overfishing, pollution, and exploitation. 

At COP27 Climate Conference I was asked to present in a first-ever Health Pavillion in a session for MSF with others on “Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change and Human Health”. My work in polar regions and with eXXpedition gave me greater understanding and courage to speak up on a topic newer to the medical humanitarian space. As it’s been said, there can’t be healthy people on a sick planet: biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are fundamental to our well-being.

“eXXpedition helped me understand just how interconnected the ocean is to climate and human health”

What else are you working on?

Alongside my writing, I am also working to include Antarctic plastic ‘portraits’ in a Svalbard plastic pollution exhibition, Aquamess, portraits of garbage at the top of the Earth. I brought home garbage from a collection of trash from the fjords, carried on currents to Svalbard. 

I will also be going to New Zealand, to continue writing about and documenting the glaciers and their future.

Part of the visit will be to continue a project with my daughter Veronica called Hello Goodbye Glaciers: a 10 year intergenerational study of glaciers, their significance to humanity, and tragic decline. As the glaciers shrink, Veronica grows. It’s an ode to glaciers and the young people experiencing and leading action on the climate crisis. The project started in Iceland when Veronica was 10. We’ve visited glaciers in five countries in five years to learn their stories and delve deeper into their meaning. 

COVID-19 put a halt on our project but this gave us time to catch up on our writing. The pause also gave us pause to reflect on how much we all travel whilst knowingly contributing to carbon emissions. Now I travel more consciously, using trains or other means of transport instead of a plane, where possible.

How can we use storytelling to inspire change?

We have to make people care – especially those holding and hoarding power. Science communication, climate change, advocacy, and storytelling can help people feel. Storytelling, for me, is about finding the human aspect. Not talking only polars – they are bad, this is good – but talking about beauty, what’s at stake, problem-solving and ultimately helping people to understand the connection between our actions and the world around us.

The post Carol Devine Superpower Story first appeared on eXXpedition.

The post Carol Devine Superpower Story appeared first on eXXpedition.

Picture Credit: Sophie Bolesworth

Can you tell me a bit about yourself and how you would describe your superpower?

My name is Soraya and I am a sustainability professional, award-winning writer and artist. I was previously the Operations Manager for eXXpedition. I have worked with eXXpedition since 2016 and became the first official employee in 2019! In August 2020, I set up a non-profit called ‘All The Elements’ which is a network for people creating change and diversity within the UK outdoor community.

My relationship with nature has always been present throughout my life. I recently found a photograph of me as a toddler, wading through a river with my grandad.

I’ve always been quite immersed. I used to feel my superpower was  ‘sustainability’ but more recently I feel that it’s evolved into my ability to connect people to each other and nature!

You founded ‘All the Elements’ can you share what that’s about and how it came to be?

I’ve always been writing and used to work as an equestrian journalist. Over the years, I began writing more on my own platforms. This included writing about diversity in the UK outdoors – something people had continued to ask me about. Doing this sort of work is tough, as you are sharing research but also lived experience. It takes a lot of energy and I wanted to connect with other people doing similar things, who understood what that was like. 

I reached out to others working in the space to ask where they connected to each other – the answer was that it didn’t exist but that they thought it was a great idea. 

It was meant to be just a newsletter, but rapidly evolved into a strong community. It is a space where people connect, network and access resources. We help people connect to each other, funding and opportunities that help them do even more great work. ‘All the Elements’ is now a community that offers a UK intersectional space including race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, invisible and visible disabilities, mental health, age, limited financial means, different body types – the list goes on!

Picture Credit: Kike Agunbiade

What role do you feel diversity has to play in spreading awareness of the state of our environment?

The straightforward answer is that if you’re not talking to a diverse range of people then you are never going to have the full picture. And without that, you cannot make informed decisions.

If people have access to the outdoors and the benefits it brings to your health and wellbeing, then naturally they will want to protect and help regenerate it. But the primary focus for currently excluded groups is to make sure they can overcome the barriers to access. They should already have access to the benefits – protecting nature is a byproduct, not the end goal. 

Picture Credit: Frankie Dewar

“The straightforward answer is that if you’re not talking to a diverse range of people then you are never going to have the full picture. And without that, you cannot make informed decisions.”

What has been the most surprising “element” to your work with All the Elements?

The first thing that surprised me was about the community and how amazingly positive it is and the sheer amount of energy the members have. It’s one of the few spaces that I’ve been in that has been so positive, even when discussing negative topics and events, it’s a safe and constructive space. 

The second element is from a broader perspective. It always really confused me that nobody had set this up before! With all these huge outdoor brands or organisations that have financial backing and resources, why has it never occurred to anyone to create a space like this, when there has clearly been a need for it?! It feels like only now diversity is being bumped up the agenda – which is exciting but it’s just surprising that it hasn’t happened sooner. 

How important is collaboration within your work? And how can that impact environmental issues more widely?

Collaboration is the key. It’s something that was always really important within eXXpedition but also within All The Elements too.

All The Elements, similarly to eXXpedition, attracts absolutely epic changemakers. Everybody has the ability and their own unique skills to create change if they are passionate about their cause. And everyone’s passionate about something. Going back to my superpower, I feel that that is my purpose and my skill – to help others realise what their superpower is and connect them to the right people and communities.

Picture Credit: Sophie Bolesworth

“Everybody has the ability and their own unique skills to create change. Everyone’s passionate about something. And so I believe it’s about figuring out how to unlock that within people.”

How did you first hear about eXXpedition and how did your journey with eXXpedition begin?

My journey to eXXpedition was quite wiggly; in fact, my whole career has been a bit wiggly! I studied law and quickly realised I hated it. And so when I left uni, I worked at an equine hospital because I had been a passionate horse rider since I was five. From there I went to work for an equestrian magazine for four years, which was an amazing job but I felt like I was missing my purpose and I needed something more. I wanted to make a positive impact on the planet, and I knew that included people. I enrolled onto the One Planet MBA at Exeter University, which essentially focused on sustainability for businesses. 

After the course, I booked onto an ‘Exploring Mindset’ canoeing trip on the Mississippi River which was run by the co-founder of eXXpedition – Emily! After the trip I began helping organise the eXXpedition Round Britain 2017 voyages.

What was your onboard experience like?

I really enjoyed coming together with an amazing group of women, who are not just tackling the world’s problems from different perspectives, but also arrive with different lived experiences.

I also learnt that when you’re onboard and  people are tired and sometimes seasick, and way out of their comfort zones, everyone is their true selves. And you pull together to face the challenges in front of you. Having common ground and shared experiences like this naturally brings you together when you might not naturally connect on land, and it creates a mutual respect and camaraderie.

Picture Credit: Nikkey Dawn

“Surround yourself with people who share the same passions, who can both catch you when things don’t go as planned but also celebrate and lift you up when they do and continue to give you joy and hope.”

What keeps you hopeful about the future of the ocean?

What I love the most is just how amazing people in the community are – they are honestly absolutely mind blowing. It’s such an amazing range of people doing the most incredible things. And All The Elements feels so broad because we tackle a range of issues and support each other in doing so. To date, I’ve held over 300 calls with different individuals to support them and offer guidance on their own journey, which can sometimes be connecting them to funding, opportunities or even to other people in the network! Sometimes it can just be talking through people’s ideas and helping them plan their next steps. Seeing all of these people pushing forward creates an unstoppable momentum in this space and I’m so proud that All The Elements can play a role within that!

Picture Credit: Frankie Dewar

For other people interested in starting their own organisation/charity – what “elements” do you think are important and what advice would you give them?

Don’t let yourself burn out, I know people say it all the time and I’m personally not great at it either but you can’t create change if you’re broken and burnout, so remember to take care of yourself first and foremost.

If you could give one message to the world, what would it be?

Find your community and find your people. Surround yourself with the right people. Not everyone’s going to agree with or support you. It’s really important to be with people who understand what you’re going through and why. Surround yourself with people who share the same passions, who can both catch you when things don’t go as planned but also celebrate and lift you up when they do, and continue to give you joy and hope.

The post Soraya Abdel-Hadi Superpower Story first appeared on eXXpedition.

The post Soraya Abdel-Hadi Superpower Story appeared first on eXXpedition.

Picture credit: Bill Daly

To begin with, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Claire, I’m Irish and I live and work in Dublin as a visual artist. My work is currently based in sculpture and installation and I’m motivated by conceptual interests which means I tend to work in a variety of media. I also work as a lecturer and a technician at the National College of Art and Design, which is a very interdisciplinary role and gives me a great opportunity to interact with different departments and techniques. It allows my approach to the creative fields to be very broad, which I love… I’m just like an omnivore I guess!

“Experiencing the ocean in that way and witnessing this expansive space, surrounded by nature really settled my soul.”

Why did you join an eXXpedition voyage?

A few years prior to eXXpedition, I had this kind of oceanic awakening. My partner and I did this mad thing where we decided to take a year out and sail across the Atlantic, which was really out of the box for me because I grew up in a landlocked county.

My partner, however, is super interested in boats and I got swept away by his passion and excitement, so it was very much a baptism by fire! The experience itself, though incredibly stressful at times, was mind blowing. Experiencing the ocean in that way and witnessing this expansive space, surrounded by nature really settled my soul. But then you see a fishing net drift past and suddenly this pristine and sacred space changes and the overwhelming issues start to creep into your psyche. 

After this experience, I kept coming back to these issues and this concept of human understanding and how the ocean functions for us symbolically, physically and geographically. And then one day, I came across this post on Instagram about the voyage and I just felt that I needed to go. But, this time going in with the purpose of revisiting those issues and questions I had. 

What surprised you most during the voyage?

Going back out into the ocean with eXXpedition gave me a real sense of the scale of the issue. It was such a transformational experience that opened up this whole can of worms! 

What struck me was how isolated we were. Our leg was a route that wasn’t often travelled by other boats, which further compounded this feeling of remoteness. When using the manta trawl, we would collect samples of fibres and microplastics and we would only collect a few pieces in each trawl, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but once you take a step back you remember you’re in this vast space, it felt so insidious it almost made me feel dizzy. This juxtaposition of this minute piece of plastic, teeny tiny, causing such an enormous problem with serious consequences was really sobering.

“I’m trying to bring the things that I have learnt into my work and teaching, to help people grasp what’s going on and find their place in relation to it.”

What’s your superpower?

I think the way my art and teaching are overlapped, almost feeding into each other, is my superpower. I’m trying to bring the things that I have learnt into my work and teaching, to help people grasp what’s going on and find their place in relation to it. Having that kind of awareness is important, and without the tangible shock of first hand experience it can be very overwhelming to maintain conscious effort on a sustained basis.

There seems to be a growing discourse of our own making, and it’s becoming bigger and bigger. We’re running out of everything. We’re running out of space, running out of clean water and time. So we need to reimagine these issues in a way that will pull us back from the edge.

I feel that my role isn’t necessarily to point towards the data, but to interrogate why it is so hard to understand, and in what way can we integrate it more into our common awareness, without spreading eco-anxiety. I think we need to find ways to be really engaged with the issue and identify with it almost like hardwiring it into yourself.

Picture credit: Carry Somers

What medium do you work in?

I have always struggled to pin down a specific physical medium. I don’t fixate on the material, it’s more about the potential vocabulary it has to communicate. I am very deliberate about what I work with and choose the material based on the context and what it can add. So the medium isn’t the common denominator throughout my practice. Instead, the common thread to my work is my conceptual approach, or way of responding.

Picture credit: Helen Morris

“We have a set amount of time for any object in our possession. It has life before and a life beyond us too. If we can find ways to strongly identify with things in our possession, we’re more likely to take better care of them, and in turn take more interest in how they’re disposed of”

How has plastic pollution influenced your art?

I had this amazing opportunity to create a course for design students in NCAD. I took this idea of ‘where we end the world begins’ as a way to access this problem. The course focused on trying to encourage students to understand materials and develop a sense of responsibility towards them. We have a set amount of time for any object in our possession. It has life before and a life beyond us too. If we can find ways to strongly identify with things in our possession, we’re more likely to take better care of them, and in turn take more interest in how they’re disposed of. If we create that same sense of identification to everything in our possession, whether that’s for a couple of years, or five minutes, then we can begin to identify with the object from its’ origins to its ending. 

It’s a form of storytelling, but it’s a new way of trying to tell a story about how you might think about objects and materials and making them something we become more conscious of, like an extension of ourselves in a way.

Picture credit: Winnie Courtene-Jones

“…we need to reimagine these issues in a way that will pull us back from the edge.”

What keeps you hopeful about the ocean’s future?

I think art, and creativity in general. Art is a speculative place for storytelling; it gives us the space to get to the heart of something and the freedom to look at it from all angles. It can point us towards new solutions to the problems that emerge, which is particularly exciting in the discipline of design and the real world impact that can be made. I actually came across this book by Timothy Morton, ‘All Art is Ecological’ where he discusses how “The future emerges directly from the objects we design” (p.62-63). I think this confirms the importance of design in modern society, but also reinforces the responsibility on designers’ shoulders to create the future. It is words like these that remind me not only of art’s importance, but of a reason to remain hopeful about the future of the ocean.

Picture credit: Helen Morris

If you could give one message to the world, what would it be?

To be mindful of the impact that you have. We should become stewards of the objects we encounter, and not underestimate the influence we can have. It can be overwhelming to see the problem of waste management as a whole. However, once you remember the control you have over the types of materials that pass through our lives, you can begin to feel empowered rather than demotivated.

Picture credit: Millie Webb

The post Claire McCluskey Superpower Story first appeared on eXXpedition.

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eXXpedition CIC is seeking a qualified Local Implementation Partner (LIP) in Maldives to carry out local waste management research and help facilitate the presentation of the research findings. The programme is in partnership with the DEFRA-funded Ocean Country Partnership Programme, the University of Georgia and the Commonwealth Secretariat, and with the support of the High Commission of the Republic of Maldives to the United Kingdom.

This 6 month project will take place from late May to November 2023 (part-time) and requires a lead person with a small field team. Activities include:

• data collection including litter surveys, store and restaurant surveys and stakeholder interviews on local waste management using a research methodology called the Circularity Assessment Protocol under the training and guidance of University of Georgia.
• assisting the facilitation of an action-focused stakeholder meeting in Male, where the findings will be presented to government, community and industry.
• working closely with eXXpedition CIC, the University of Georgia, relevant departments at the Government of the Republic of Maldives and local communities in Maldives to execute the project plan.

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE

Plastic pollution in the ocean is causing devastating environmental and health impacts globally and there’s no silver bullet solution to solve it. The problem needs to be tackled at the source and approached from many angles simultaneously. Decision-makers at a local, national and international level need data to take an informed holistic approach to identify successful research-driven solutions in policy, infrastructure and industry innovation.

The Circularity Assessment Protocol (CAP), developed by University of Georgia (UGA), will create a snapshot of Maldives’ circularity to holistically characterise how consumer plastic flows into a community, is consumed, and flows out. The CAP uses field data on plastic inputs, consumers, product design, use, collection, waste management and leakage into the environment, and interviews with key stakeholders. It will provide data for local, regional, and national policy and decision‐making, to reduce leakage of single‐use plastic into the environment and increase circular materials management.

See CAP Methodology here; See example report from the Pune, India assessment here.  

A qualified Local Implementation Partner, hired by eXXpedition and trained by UGA, will carry out the CAP data collection in Malé city and surrounding islands, and facilitate the presentation of the research findings at a stakeholder meeting. UGA will create a report summarising the circularity assessment data, which will be provided to the Maldives government and people to inform their decision making on plastic waste management.

This project will culminate in a Stakeholder Meeting to present key findings from the Circularity Assessment and to identify actions and opportunities for the next phase of Maldives SHiFT. Stakeholders will include national policy makers, industry, infrastructure, community and external experts.

PROJECT TIMELINE

Stage 1: June 12th – June 23rd 2023

During Stage 1 – Pre-field analysis, the LIP will:

• Attend virtual training (2-4 hours) with the UGA team to learn field methods
• Assist UGA team with finding background documentation, such as solid waste management plans, for the local community
• Review of sampling map and strategy to ensure methods are locally appropriate 
• Contacting and scheduling key stakeholder interviews with groups such as government officials, solid waste management companies, local businesses, and NGOs

Estimated time: Pre-field training + dry run: 10 hours, 4 people = 40 hours

Stage 2: June 26th – July 14th 2023

During Stage 2 – Fieldwork, the LIP will collect the following data:

• Conduct litter transects conducted in pre-selected locations with the Debris Tracker app (3 transects in each of 9 sites)
• Conduct store and restaurant surveys to purchase and survey common convenience products and to-go items (3 stores and 3 restaurants in each of 9 sites)
• Conduct key stakeholder interviews (typically 15-30 interviews)
• Provide photo and video documentation of the CAP surveys

Field work typically takes 2 weeks full time to complete, depending on the size of the team.

Estimated Time: Field work + interviews: 80 hours, 4 people = 320 hours

Stage 3: July 17th – July 28th 2023

During Stage 3 – Data analysis and reporting, the LIP will:

• Weigh and characterise samples purchased in stores
• Enter the data and transcribe the interviews
• Provide local context to analysis

Estimated Time: Data transcription: 20 hours, 4 people = 80 hours

Stage 4: July 31st – September 22nd 2023

During Stage 4 – Final report writing and stakeholder meeting planning, the LIP will:

• Collaboratively review analysis and report drafts from the UGA team to share insights.
• Identify and coordinate key stakeholders to attend the meeting
• Coordinate a meeting venue, participant transportation and event logistics

Estimated Time: Review and support of data analysis: 40 hours + Event coordination: 80 hours

Stage 5: September 25th – November 24th 2023

During Stage 5 – Presentation of the findings, the LIP will:

• Identify points for stakeholder meeting and create summary presentation documents to share with stakeholders
• Final stakeholder meeting planning and attendance (event date TBC)
• Stakeholder meeting follow up

Estimated Time: Data dissemination and document preparation: 40 hours + Event coordination and attendance: 80 hours

TEAM ROLES

A successful LIP typically has 4-6 members. Roles for the project team are described below; team members can participate in multiple roles.

Project Lead

• A team member with experience in project management to oversee and coordinate the entire CAP and be the primary point of contact with eXXpedition and UGA for matters of communication and data-sharing.
• Qualified persons may include: faculty, staff, or higher level students (PhD or mature Masters) at a University; an experienced person at an NGO; or experienced government employee.
• A general understanding of waste management in the community and some awareness of plastic issues is necessary. Experience in Geographic Information Systems is a plus; at a minimum, comfort with reading Google maps is required. General knowledge of the community about culture, social norms, safety, etc. is also required.
• The project coordinator will be required to attend virtual training sessions with UGA, take part in some fieldwork and ensure all field work is completed and data transcribed on time. They will review the report draft and provide feedback.

Field Staff – Litter Transect Team 4 people recommended

• Team members will be using mobile app technology to record georeferenced data on litter and potential sources of litter including stores, cafés, etc. Being comfortable using maps and apps on smartphones is critical. Team members will need to be willing to do a lot of walking and be outside in various conditions. They’ll likely get asked questions by curious residents, so research assistants will also be liaisons with the community in explaining the project. Attention to detail is important – litter tracking can be tedious.
• Undergraduate or graduate students in any discipline should be able to help do this work.
• The litter transect team will be required to attend virtual training with UGA.

Field Staff – Survey Team 2 people recommended

• The survey team will be working to conduct interviews in the field sites with key players in the community, including: key stakeholders, shopkeepers, waste management workers, and informal waste sector workers.
• Graduate students who have either conducted surveys in the past or have an interest in this area of work are preferred. 

Stakeholder Meeting Coordinator

• An individual with excellent organisational skills to coordinate the stakeholders, venue, catering and travel logistics for the 1-day stakeholder meeting.
• The coordinator should have good contacts within government and have experience of putting together high level events in the past.

BUDGET

The maximum budget payable under this contract is £10,000 (including VAT, and any other fees). Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of work signed off by eXXpedition CIC and within 30 days upon submission of the invoice.

REQUIREMENTS

• University degree required in a field relevant to this contract, such as, environmental management, science, engineering, etc.
• Demonstrable experience of more than 4 years in working in a research capacity; ideally, relevant to marine or coastal planning and/or waste management in the respective country;
• Excellent research skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build collaborative relationships and supportive engagement with stakeholders;
• Skilled at managing competing priorities and meeting tight deadlines;
• Solid writing abilities;
• A strong commitment to partnership and collaborative approaches;
• Must be based in Malé in Maldives;
• Links with government and local communities
• Network within the Maldives in relation to the environment, ocean, health and waste management sectors.
• Have their own computer equipment, GPS-enabled smart-phones, computer applications and internet connection.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please apply for this contract by submitting a concise proposal (2 pages) to info@exxpedition.com by 23:59 GMT on 22nd May 2023 . 

The proposal should include:

• How you will carry out the project, the team’s relevant expertise and experience, team roles and team location.
• The bid amount and budget breakdown, including any necessary transport costs in the Malé region eg. ferries. Bids must include all relevant fees and taxes, which in total cannot exceed the maximum amount (£10,000). 

Evaluation will be based on both competency and cost. Where submissions are similar in quality, preference will be given to Contractors that are Maldivian citizens or entities registered in Maldives.

You can find more information about Maldives SHiFT partners here.

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Photo by Stella Marina Stabbins

Can You Tell Me A Bit About Yourself?

I originally studied illustration at Art School, prior to joining eXXpedition. I had always loved the water, so ended up working onboard Yachts after I finished school. 

When I came across eXXpedition, it seemed like the perfect way to combine my creative practice with my love for the water, and for nature and environmental protection. I also found the research eXXpedition had performed about the long-term health impacts of microplastics, on female bodies specifically, really fascinating. 

Photo by Stella Marina Stabbins

I applied, and joined the 2015 Amazon expedition. It’s amazing to see just how far eXXpedition has come since then. They’ve turned something that was rarely talked about in 2015, into a mainstream conversation, and that’s just fantastic to see. 

Following the expedition, I continued to work on boats, until about 3 years ago when myself and my partner bought Eda Frandsen – a UK based sailing adventure company operating out of Falmouth and the West Coast of Scotland. I’ve been working and living on our sailing boat Eda ever since!

Tell us more about Eda Frandsen, what is your mission, and what adventures have you had so far?

Essentially, we provide traditional sailing holidays for people, who have, most often, never been out on the water before. 

Eda – our boat – is a traditional wooden gaff rigged Danish Hajkutter from 1938. We spend our winters in Cornwall, living on the boat full time, and then do the beginning and end of the season in Falmouth. We then do a passage up to Scotland and complete charters off the West Coast of Scotland for the remainder of the summer. 

Eda Fransen, by Stella Marina Stabbins

Our mission is to connect people with the ocean. Eda will often be the first amount of time our customers have ever spent at sea. So, we aim to provide people with an experience that initiates a connection between them and water, and just gets people out there, into nature. For example, we often get our crew involved with some whale and dolphin tracking with the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Society, which is always exciting.

“Our mission is to connect people with the ocean… just get people out there, into nature.”

A lot of what we do is also about introducing this idea of vessel living – a kind of survival based on minimising your consumption, optimising your resources, and being in complete control of your livelihood. When you live on a boat, you just can’t, physically, have that much stuff. And, the stuff you do have, has to be durable – you have to be willing for it to go mouldy or to fall overboard. By that very nature, I think it just teaches you such important life-skills about being less wasteful and more responsible in the way you consume.

So, aside from introducing people to the beauty of being at water, I think Eda is super important in helping people to realise why, and how, to live more sustainably. 

Photo by Stella Marina Stabbins

“A lot of what we do is also about introducing this idea of vessel living…being less wasteful and more responsible in the way you consume.”

What did you learn that surprised you most during your voyage?

I found all the research about plastic toxins and the way they enter our bloodstream, and affect different bodies, in different ways, super interesting. Whilst onboard Eda,  I am responsible for all the cooking. As a result, I have spent a lot of time researching and making sure that the food we are producing is low in toxins, low in waste and low in processing. I guess I have taken what I learnt at eXXpedition, and channelled that knowledge into food production. It’s great to be able to use Eda as a way to put all that knowledge into action. 

Photo by Emily Penn

How would you describe your superpower?

My superpower is probably communication.  When we did our voyage, the quality of photos you could take, and transfer, between our phones at sea, and the team on land, was far worse than the quality and quantity of footage you can send now. So, my superpower came in really handy whilst onboard, as a lot of our comms, at sea, came from blog-writing. However, I guess more recently, cooking has become my “superpower”. As I mentioned, I am really careful about the food we are producing aboard Eda, and it’s been great to be able to use food as a vehicle to make a positive impact for my crew and our wider ecosystem.

Photo by Katrina McQuail

What are your plans moving forwards, and has the voyage influenced any part of those plans?

Rather than expanding, we are focusing on optimising Eda, and our impact on our environment and communities. Like eXXpedition the idea of vessel-living is super powerful to us and will be a big factor driving Eda forwards.

In doing so, we hope to become more resilient and self-sufficient. In that way, it becomes easier to withstand external factors like fuel prices, drought or flooding for example. Essentially then, the aim is to help close, or better loop, Eda’s “ecosystem”. We’re also now a signatory of the Glasgow COP26 Climate Pact, so that is another bit of motivation.

“… the aim is to help close, or better loop, Eda’s “ecosystem”

We have several projects already on the go, moving us in the right direction. For example, we recently bought a new plot of land, which we are hoping to use to grow all our fruit and vegetables that can then be used for food on the boat, and re-purposed onto the land as compost. We’ve also been investigating the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil as a fuel alternative for the boat! It creates 80% less carbon emissions than burning diesel, and you don’t need to alter a current diesel engine to use it – it’s a great option, that just isn’t advertised or subsidised enough!

Photo by Stella Marina Stabbins

What are you most proud to have achieved?

Taking people sailing, getting them out onto the water, for the first-time and just seeing it all sink in, each time, is just the best feeling. Showing people that really have no kind of concept of what they really signed up to, or what we do, and then showing them what’s possible, is just amazing.  

I always wanted a life where I didn’t feel like I was exploiting anyone or anything to make a living. So, I’m just proud to have made a system that does this, that supports itself, but also other people. 

“Taking people sailing, getting them out onto the water, for the first-time and just seeing it all sink in, each time, is just the best feeling.”

Photo by Stella Marina Stabbins

What keeps you hopeful about the future of the ocean?

Given the chance, nature can heal itself. It is powerful and it’s resilient. All across the world, in places where robust ocean and fishing protection has been put in place, nature has rebounded. It will heal itself, we just just have to give it the right space and time, to do so.

Photo by Stella Marina Stabbins

“…nature can heal itself…we just have to give it the right space and time, to do so.”

If You Could Give One Message To The World, What Would It Be?

To wake up! To pay attention to the beauty of the world around you. Know that no governments, politicians or big businesses are going to protect it for you. Only you have the ability to make decisions about how your story plays out. Just because the people around you don’t seem to care or are not making an effort to change the world doesn’t mean that you should stop trying.

Eventually, it won’t feel like hard work and you will wake up everyday knowing that you have done your best to leave the world better than you found it.

The post Stella Marina Stabbins Superpower Story first appeared on eXXpedition.

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Tell us a bit about yourself?

I studied law and behavioural science, but have subsequently moved into the entrepreneurial space, specifically in relation to biotech.

I live in Austria, and am passionate about developing a holistic approach to address modern problems. The key to delivering more resilient futures, I believe, lies with  system change.  As an entrepreneur, I think I have a unique opportunity to help deliver these system shifts, as I am able to apply holistic thinking in order to break down a problem and generate solutions. 

I am also an avid gender and water activist – without gender justice there can be no hope for either climate justice or water justice. 

How did you end up joining an eXXpedition voyage?

I was always passionate and cautious about the environment growing up. I think my interest came from my mother – who was always devoted to living waste-free, whether that was attending farmer’s markets, composting organic waste or eating seasonal products. 

When I heard Emily speak for the first time at a conference, I knew that eXXpedition was something I wanted to be involved with. Her story really stuck with – and I decided I wanted my own story to tell, just like Emily had. So, I decided to apply, and see where the adventure took me. 

What did you learn on the voyage that most surprised you?

I think realising just how massive the ocean really is, and just how small we are in comparison. When you spend three weeks on a boat sailing without seeing anything, not a single thing, other than the ocean, the enormity of the natural world and its magic, really becomes obvious. We consider human species to be the “cleverest” on Earth, but for me, my eXXpediiton voyage confirmed just how clever nature is.

“We consider human species to be the “cleverest” on Earth, but for me, my eXXpedition voyage confirmed just how clever nature is.”

How would you describe your superpower?

To explore and learn about people, things, and places, without judgement. I love talking – and talking to a range of people – whether that’s a biotech scientist or a school child. As much as I love talking, listening is equally, if not more important. Everyone has something to contribute. There is always something to learn. Every conversation is a lesson. Everyone has their own wisdom.  If you look at nature you will realise that this perfect ecosystem works, as there is mutualism. Every plant, tree and animal carries its own wisdom. One cannot exist without the other. I think this mindset keeps me inspired, but also allows me to inspire others. 

“Everyone has something to contribute. There is always something to learn. Every conversation is a lesson.”

How has the voyage influenced your work since?

In 2021, I co-founded Abundance Gate. Our company addresses crucial gaps in the European innovation ecosystem by aligning facility services, academics, experts, corporations and investors to help biotech startups’ realise their highest potential in tackling some of the world’s most challenging problems. Abundance Gate focus on Life Sciences, Food Sciences as well as agricultural sciences. We offer lab and office spaces, shared infrastructure and equipment, mentors, industry advisors, funding opportunities and support to ensure the successful commercialisation of new technologies. 

Whilst I am, by no means, a “biotech” expert, I think my holistic mindset, and my learnings from eXXpedition, allowed me to bring Abundance Gate alive. By bringing different perspectives and skillsets together – the driving force behind Abundance – we are  helping startups, corporates and  new technology leverage their potential to make a long term impact.

Beyond Abundance Gate, I have been reaching out to lots of my contacts to tell them my eXXpedition story, and help them discover what they can do to help. 

I’ve been coordinating with eXXpedition Ambassador Marita Schmidt on a lot of projects. We took part in several interviews together, including a documentary about microplastics (23:02). I have also joined a number of networks. For example, I was invited to join Your 2040 – a network of interdisciplinary activists working to create change. This year’s theme to the annual conference was water, and I was interviewed as part of the discussions. 

“Whilst I am, by no means, a “biotech” expert, I think my holistic mindset, and my learnings from eXXpedition, allowed me to bring Abundance Gate alive.”

I have also been busy writing and I really love it.  I’ve published several articles – one considered the microplastics in cosmetics, one talking about the potential of the XX economy (stating how big the potential of empowering women is),  talked about the patient ocean on a radio station, recorded different podcast episodes  and more recently I wrote an article about corporate sustainability which is going to be published in a book.

What Keeps You Hopeful About The Future Of The Ocean?

Seeing all the action and impact of others around me keeps me hopeful. Young people are particularly inspiring, and seeing them come together to make a change also keeps me hopeful. I refer to myself as a stubborn optimist. I just can’t give up. The more women become leaders the more hopeful I get. There is no climate justice without gender justice. 

Photo Credit: Nina Jirgensome

If You Could Give One Message To The World, What Would It Be?

Just do it. Use actions, not words. No matter how small the step may seem to you, you never know what butterfly effect your actions may have. Whilst that effect may not always be recognisable to you, you will impact someone, somewhere, and that is what matters. 

This is reminiscent of Jane Goodhall, who reminds us to “act locally, think globally”.  I think that quote is really powerful; Do your bit locally, and then we can work towards a better future, globally.

“No matter how small the step may seem to you, you never know what butterfly effect your actions may have.”

Photo Credits: Erica Cirino, Nita Jigernsone, Sophie Dingwall, Emilie Boege Dresler, Natascha Glanzer-Fuerst

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Today, the 8th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly is taking place at the UN HQ, New York City. People are coming together to put women and girls, science, and technology at the heart of sustainable development programs. 

To celebrate, we wanted to spotlight some Ambassadors who have been making breakthrough contributions to ocean and microplastic research. 

Laura Leiva

Laura Leiva – science marketeer, marine biologist, and lobster expert – joined us for Leg 2 of our North Pacific expedition in 2018 as a Bursary Placement. She recently returned from Heligoland, a small German island, where she has spent 3 years completing her PhD.

Passionate about crustaceans, and the future of ocean health, Laura  investigated the effects of temperature, noise and acidification of Heligoland’s juvenile lobster populations. Heliogoland is a wildlife haven and honey pot for marine-enthusiasts. Moreover, Heligoland is the only place in Germany where you can find the species of lobster Laura was studying!

Laura has already published her research in 2 scientific journals. Alongside her scientific superpowers, Laura is also a great storyteller. She would love to communicate her findings to a wider audience, beyond the “scientific” readership that a typical journal article receives. To do so, she is working hard to publish her research in Frontiers for Kids – a journal tailored specifically to young people that puts the detail associated with “adult” journals into more accessible formats.

Laura is now combining her storytelling and scientific superpower skills, as a science marketeer for siTOOLs – a German-based biotech.

Dr. Imogen Napper

Imogen joined us for Leg 2 of our North Pacific expedition. Last week, Dr Imogen Napper  attended a panel discussion about climate anxiety at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK. She has recently moved to the Bahamas where she will be working at @ceibahamas teaching  and doing pollution-focused research. 

Just before Christmas, Imogen hosted a discussion at our London Ocean Drinks. Her discussion adressed the connection between plastic pollution and climate change. The talk engaged a lively conversation with our community, and opened eyes to the often-forgotten-about connections between the two. 

Dr. Winnie Courtene-Jones

In November 2022 the second scientific paper from eXXpedition Round the World, ‘Synthetic microplastic abundance and composition along a longitudinal gradient traversing the subtropical gyre in the North Atlantic Ocean’ was published demonstrating how microplastic particles differ across the Atlantic Ocean.

In a virtual event on the 10th January 2023, Round the World Science lead, Dr Winnie Courtene-Jones discussed some key findings from the paper, alongside Emily Penn and Simon Van Gennip (Mercator Ocean International).

This thought provoking discussion touched on some key questions: How much plastic is out there? What type of plastic is it? How is it distributed? Why do we need to monitor it? And ultimately – can we gain a better picture of where it’s come from? 

Quoting directly from Winnie herself:  “plastic in the ocean comes from everywhere…While that makes the monitoring much more complicated, it also makes it clear that we really need a global strategy. Our first paper, in the Caribbean, reached the same conclusion. This is an international challenge. We need a united effort to make a difference. Water doesn’t obey territorial borders.” 

You can watch the full discussion below, or head to this blog to read the highlights!

Taylor Maddalene

eXXpedition Ambassador, Taylor Maddalene was invited to present the findings from our Caribbean research paper at the 7th IMDC in Busan this September.

Taylor is a PhD Student in Environmental Engineering. She is also the Director of the Circularity Assessment Protocol with the Jambeck Research Group at the University of Georgia. Taylor joined us for the 2nd leg of our Virtual Voyages to Fiji. 

Held every four years, the IMDC saw Taylor present to a diverse range of stakeholders about the findings from our CAP in the Caribbean.  Attended by academic, industry, and government officials, it was great seeing our research presented on such an international stage!

Prof. Jenna Jambeck

Professor Jenna Jambeck recently received the prestigious MacArthur fellowship grant. 

Jenna will be using the grant to continue developing research methods to understand and address global plastic pollution. Two of these methods – the Circularity Assessment Protocol and Marine Debris Tracker App –  were critical to our Round the World expedition. 

They provide a platform to collect community-level data that includes information about mismanaged waste and waste infrastructure. This data will inform decisions aiming to reduce land-based plastic pollution. 

During eXXpedition Round the World (RTW), we conducted the first holistic assessment of marine and land-based plastic pollution in the Southern Caribbean. eXXpedition did this in conjunction with Jenna and the University of Georgia. Jenna’s methodology was critical to the development and publication of our Caribbean Research Paper  – Source, Sea and Sink – a holistic approach to understanding plastic pollution in the Southern Caribbean – which was published in Science of the Total Environment (November 2021).

Take a look at this video to find out more about Jenna’s research and her Macarthur Award.

Natalie Fox

Natalie is on a mission to convert the world’s 35 million surfers into ocean citizen scientists.

As coordinator of the ReGeneration Surf – a coalition between 4 Portugal-based organisations including Mossy Earth, Seaforester, Zero Waste Lab and Oceans and Flow, and the World Surf League and WSL Pure  – initiative, Natlie is busy bringing life back to the Portuguese coastline through a restorative sea kelp planting project. 

Natalie is hoping to galvanise support from fellow surfers, in her mission to convert a new generation of citizen scientists. 

 In addition, Natalie recently published her Masters Thesis, which looked at the connection between ocean literacy and surfers. Having established a connection between the two, Natalie is communicating her findings to help other surfers become ocean gatekeepers. 

You can read more about Natalie’s work in our recent Superpower Story blog, where we discuss her change-making mission in more detail. 

Women remain under-represented in science, sailing and exploration, and eXXpedition is passionate about addressing this with positive role models. Which is why, to quote our Founder Emily Penn, “it made sense to gather teams of talented women from all disciplines; to experience the plastic problem, collect data, make connections, and figure out how to tackle it together.” 

For Emily, “there is something unique about taking an inspired group of women to sea. Boundaries are let down as the crew overcome immense challenges together. Bonds form fast and last for life.”

To date, 257 women, from over 40 nationalities, aged between 18-70, have joined a voyage with us. Going forwards, we hope to continue building our community, and in turn inspire many more women into ever-critical science, technology and innovation roles.

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Geraldine. Photo Credits: Anne Bettina Brunet

Can you tell me a bit about yourself?

I live in Brittany and was lucky enough to grow up on a coastline with a family that loves the sea. From an early age I found myself out on the water, and the rhythm of the waves has been a source of comfort for me ever since. 

Having completed my Bachelors and Masters in Art History, I went on to work as an exhibition curator. Since then, my research has ebbed into Anthropology – the intersection between art, indigenous and non indigenous art communities, and marine plastic pollution, more specifically. 

I now work as a Senior Lecturer in Anthropology at the University of Western Brittany. I have also spent a lot of time researching in Australia, so I also have the title of Senior Adjunct Researcher at James Cook University, in Queensland. 

Since eXXpedition, I have written two books. My latest was published just before Christmas, and discusses the networks of social relationships that form in and around ghost fishing nets.

Ghostnet Art. Photo Credits: Geraldine Le Roux

Tell me more about your Anthropology research?

My Masters and Bachelor were in Art History, but I have always been interested in art curation. More specifically, I have always been fascinated by the “objects” of art – what is classified as “art”, and how people establish relationships with these “objects”. 

After my Masters, I decided I would explore this further, and chose to complete a PhD. This investigated the art market, and its role in distinguishing what may be classified as “art”. I was particularly interested in exploring this in relation to the classification of “indigenous art” and “non-indigenous art”. 

Geraldine with Artists. Photo Credits: Geraldine Le Roux

There is a strong pressure on artists to fit into one of these categories – which is often defined according to the ethnicity of the artists, rather than the art itself. Essentially, my research explored what and who these categories include? Inversely, what and who are excluded, and why?  Lastly, who are the actors deciding these categorisations? This also springboarded my interest in the strategies Indigenous artists were using to put their work into the “artworld” – be that through art exhibitions, festivals, or artist networks.  

Geraldine with Artists. Photo Credits: Geraldine Le Roux

Where did your interest in ghost nets come from?

Since creating my first exhibition in 2005, I have displayed the work of countless emerging artists, such as Shigeyuki Kiharat who this year became the first Pacific artist to represent New Zealand at the Venice Biennale.

In 2012, I exhibited a sculpture by Florence Gutchen – an artist from the Torres Strait –  in Paris, which was entirely made from fishing ghostnets. The sculpture –  a woman carrying a bag of fruit and veg from her garden – captivated me. Given my interests in the ocean and marine pollution and my interest in the classification of objects as “art”, my fascination was unsurprising. I selected and exhibited a second ghostnet sculpture, which became the first public presentation of ghostnet art in France.

Geraldine Collecting Nets. Photo Credits: Geraldine Le Roux

It turns out, I was not the only person captivated by this art movement. Influenced and informed by the art at my exhibition, a French art dealer went on to organise a large exhibition of ghostnet art at the prestigious Musée Océanographique de Monaco – the first museum dedicated to the study of the ocean. I was tasked with writing their exhibition catalogue. 

Geraldine in Monaco, 2016. Photo Credits : Geraldine Le Roux

Geraldine in Monaco, 2016

Since then, I have documented the removal of ghost nets, and its conversion into artwork, across several indigenous communities in the Torres Strait, an archipelago between Australia and New Guinea. 

How did you end up joining eXXpedition, and why Leg 8? 

I had always wanted to cross an ocean – it’s always a dream that I have had. A friend of mine is a very famous French writer, and he wrote one of his books whilst crossing an ocean on a cargo ship! So, I always had that as an idea as a PhD student. 

Geraldine, Life Onboard, Photo Credits: Meraki Fade

Whilst I never clambered aboard a cargo ship (at least not yet), I did travel to Morea in French Polynesia, where I spent a lot of time out on the water, and finding inspiration for my latest book.

It was whilst I was there that I first discovered eXXpedition. I woke up in the middle of the night. Not able to sleep, I opened my laptop, and the first thing that popped up was an eXXpedition post. It was one of those lightbulb moments. 

I wrote my application in one night, and sent it off, crossing my fingers that I would be accepted. I ended up doing my interview out in The Marquesas, surrounded by beautiful nature, and crackly wifi connection! 

Sample Sorting, eXXpedition Leg 8, Photo Credits: Rachel Lucas

I knew from the beginning that I wanted to join Leg 8.  Firstly, I knew I wanted to be on the boat for as long as possible. Secondly, I knew Australia very well at that point, as lots of my research had been focused in and around Polynesia. Sailing across the South Pacific was always going to be meaningful, given all the connections and relationships I had formed through my research in that pocket of the world. 

So much of the history of the places I had researched was shaped by people crossing that ocean. It was only natural that I wanted to experience the crossing for myself!

Geraldine, Life on Board eXXpedition Leg 8. Photo Credits: Bonita Baker Robins

How Would You Describe Your Superpower?

I have always known that I am a good listener. Being an anthropologist, and a researcher, has only amplified that quality.  As a writer, I get to capture all the things I have learnt from listening, cross-analyse them and eventually share it with others to help make a difference.

Geraldine, Science Onboard, eXXpedition Leg 8. Photo Credits: Bonita Baker-Robins

Since the voyage, you have published two books! Tell us a bit more about them both, and the process that went into writing them?

When I returned from the voyage, I had this urgent desire to capture my adventure, and document the incredible powers of the 13 women I met on board. Like the rest of the world, I went into lockdown – what better time to write a book! So, I got to work – and eventually named the book Sea Sisters: Un équipage féminin à l’épreuve de la pollution dans le Pacifique (Sea Sisters: A female crew engaged in maritime pollution in the Pacific).

 Cover of Sea Sisters: Un équipage féminin à l’épreuve de la pollution dans le Pacifique

It was a perfect opportunity to document the power of citizen science – where researchers and amateurs came together to solve a common problem. My aim was to ethnographically analyse a participatory science project, and the ways through which awareness around plastic pollution may be raised.

From Tavi – a young surfer from Rapa Nui inspired by  ancestral Polynesian knowledge about ocean protection – to Bonita – a former financial service worker from London – the book discusses the amazing superpowers of my fellow Sisters, and how they were inspiring change in their own unique ways.

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The response to my book has been amazing – culminating in my recent Prix du Livre Engagé pour la Planète” – a prestigious French award for books providing significant contributions to the Planet. 

My next book –L’art des ghostnets. Approche anthropologique et esthétique des filets-fantômes – was published just before Christmas. It’s a culmination of over a decade of research! 

Information about  L’art des ghostnets. Approche anthropologique et esthétique des filets-fantômes

Ghostnet art’s emerging international recognition sits at the heart of the book. I use the artwork as a vehicle to question the place of plastic in the world, and address the plastic issue in light of Indigenous and local knowledge and sovereignties.

Sculptures made from nets, baskets woven from rope, and ultra-realistic representations obtained from sewn-fibres, form the artwork captured by the book. The art comes from over a hundred Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists – from Australia, Oceania, the Americas and Europe.

Geraldine Documenting GhostNet Art

As well as considering the transformation of ghostnet waste into beautiful, unique artworks, I explore fishermen’s relationships with fishing gear, and how they lose or abandon them at sea; how one may wander a beach and encounter plastic debris, and our ambivalences towards these encounters.

I am super proud to say that the Book has won the 2019 Musée du Quai Branly Prize-Jacques Chirac award (“Prix d’aide à l’édition). 

Geraldine receiving 2019 Musée du Quai Branly Prize-Jacques Chirac award

Have you had any time to do anything beyond your writing?

A few months after returning from the voyage, I was asked to curate a large Australian art exhibition at the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle du Havre, in France. The exhibition was the largest ghostnet art exhibition ever displayed in France, and remains as a collection in the museum today. Through my work, and my exhibitions, I hope I can continue challenging cultural institutions to take on the issue of marine pollution.

I have also been reaching out to lots of people, discussing my research. I have attended and spoken at several conferences and festivals. For example, I recently spoke at the opening panel discussion for the prestigious Route du Rhum sailing festival, where I discussed the importance of increasing female participation in both science and sailing. 

Geraldine speaking at Route du Rhum Festival Panel. Photo Credits: Jean-Louis Carli

I’ve been working with lots of different people, beyond just artists. For example, I have been working with fishermen and harbour staff – looking for ways to reduce tariffs on fishing net recycling. In many harbours, fishermen have to pay to deposit old fishing nets. This leaves them with little incentive other than to discard them to the bottom of the ocean floor. Going forwards, I want to help reduce the cost of this recycling process, and better still, eliminate charges altogether.

What about going forwards, have you got anything you’d like to do?

My next big dream –  my new “crazy” idea – is curating my own expedition. I am still in the early stages of planning, but am excited to see where the adventure might take me. 

Geraldine sailing, eXXpedition Leg 8. Photo Credits: Geraldine Le Roux

What are you most proud to have achieved?

In 2016, I put on a small exhibition about Ghost Net art with a group of my students in my hometown. A few days later I was in a coffee shop by the beach, when I saw a boy and his dad walk past, with their arms full with bundles of fishing nets from the beach. 

“I guess you never know what your impact will be, but I felt very proud that our small exhibition had inspired those two people into action.”

I approached them, and asked about where they had found the nets. They told me they had attended an exhibition in town about ghost net art the day before. It had inspired to do their bit. They’d gone down to the beach, and were on their way home to try and re-purpose the debris they found, into an art piece. 

I guess you never know what your impact will be, but I felt very proud that our small exhibition had inspired those two people into action. 

What Keeps You Hopeful about the Future of the Ocean?

Many people didn’t even use to think about the ocean. Now, people all around the world are beginning to realise the impact of their actions. The ever-growing knowledge being generated, and shared, keeps me going, and will continue to define a new path. 

Geraldine. Photo Credits: Rachel Lucas

If You Could Give One Message To The World, What Would It Be?

Look at the art being made with marine debris. You will be fascinated by its beauty, and become addicted to collecting it. I promise!

eXXpedtion, Leg 8 Crew. Photo Credits: Meraki Fade

Photo Credits: Thanks to Bonita Baker-Robins, Geraldine Le Roux, Meraki Fade, Rachel Lucas.

The post Geraldine Le Roux Superpower Story first appeared on eXXpedition.

The post Geraldine Le Roux Superpower Story appeared first on eXXpedition.