Young Sailors: Are You an “Ocean Hero”?

Young sailors, your sailing education is not just about learning to read charts and pull lines. Your generation faces a whole new set of challenges on par with the great explorers of ancient times. Unfathomably widespread plastic, fisheries collapse, water pollution… the list of problems facing the ocean continues to grow. The mistakes of the past are not your fault, but there is hope: you can be part of the solutions of the future!

This summer, join other young ocean lovers from all over the world in a special program called Ocean Heroes Bootcamp. This three-day training will equip you with all the tools you need to run effective plastic pollution campaigns in your own community and to educate others about problems facing the ocean.

This year’s bootcamp will focus on tackling the single-use plastic water bottle, which every sailor knows is a huge problem for the marine environment. A million plastic water bottles are produced every minute and at our current rate of consumption, this number is expected to increase! Most of these bottles do not get recycled and often end up in our waterways. At this year’s bootcamp, brainstorm ideas for solutions, hear from global influencers and grassroots activists, and get inspired by other young ocean heroes!

Image credit: Ocean Heroes Bootcamp

This year’s Ocean Heroes Bootcamp will take place in Vancouver, Canada from June 28-30. Your hosts will include over ten marine conservation organizations, including the Captain Planet Foundation, Lonely Whale, and Point Break Foundation. Attendees will brainstorm ways to stop plastic pollution at the source and learn skills to communicate about the ocean through tools like social media.

The program is still accepting applications, but time is running out! We encourage any young sailor who wants to take leadership in plastic pollution to apply and share the message of a plastic-free ocean!