Happy Ocean

Today is 2019 International Coastal Cleanup Day, and Happy Ocean volunteers in partnership with Parks Canada participated in a Power Hour at Robinson's Island.  We had 27 volunteers in attendance and split up into five groups to cover the full coastline of Robinson's Island. We collected two truckloads of garbage (330 pounds) including signage, lobster trap parts, broken buoys, an old football, plastic bottles and containers, broken knives, and plastic ropes. Here are some photos from the cleanup efforts. One volunteer had said "I was expecting to see lots of debris, especially after the recent storm but was pleasantly surprised not to encounter such". It is a great feeling to not see as much garbage as we expected as it shows that Islanders are taking care of our beautiful beaches.

Zero waste shopping can be challenging, however we have some helpful resources at our finger tips including this Zero Waste Businesses Google Map that Nick Scott recently developed that can empower us to face this challenge. We want to be able to create a positive shift in our lives, we want to have healthy relations with our environment. This is a helpful user-friendly Google map; anyone with gmail can easily add a business to the list of businesses who have started taking action to cut down on single-use plastic. So please check it out, share, or add to the listing. Keep the buzz going, and our hats off in thanks to Nick Scott, for his initiative and bringing driving momentum to the zero waste movement.

This past September, Random Acts of Green embarked on a Canadian Cross-Country tour to deliver the message to Canadians from coast-to-coast that climate action is important – and there are a lot of things we can all do. The primary objective of the tour was to spread the message of urgency -and to change the conversation from doom and gloom into hope and action. No Green Act is too small, no person is too young or too old, and no effort should ever go unnoticed. We’re here to INSPIRE YOU – not to judge you for things out of your control, actions that aren’t possible for you to take, or for your starting point on your green journey. Check out the  Charlottetown PEI leg of tour: To kick off the tour, Efficiency PEI hosted RAOG Team for a Lunch and Learn Session. They are a group of dedicated energy stars working toward renewable power and highlighting the importance of electric vehicles. Electric Vehicle “Only” Parking Spaces A fully electric vehicle that helps the staff at ...

For those of you who attended our DIY Beeswax Wrap night, or for those who had an interest and wish they attended, we are sharing a demo video and a step-by-step guide so you can make these wraps for your family and friends. We hope that every home in PEI and beyond will move from plastic wrap/saran wrap and plastic baggies to these eco-friendly beeswax wraps (or vegan soy wraps). Here is the demo video from June 20th DIY Beeswax Wrap Night, the demo was done by the amazing Happy Oceaner Lori Fagan: DIY Beeswax Wrap Guide: MATERIALS: -wax:  Beeswax, broken into smaller chunks Sourcing on PEI: Moonsnail Soapworks, Honey on the Hill, Health Within (located at Dynamic Fitness building), Michael's Crafts Store Vegan alternative: Soy Wax, broken into smaller chunks Sourcing Michael's Craft Store; Savings tip - watch for the Michael's Craft Store Saving Coupons -heat source: toaster oven, oven, stove top, hot plate -oven mitts -wooden chopsticks, dowels or tongs...

Happy Ocean committee members had the pleasure of meeting Connor Fitzpatrick, an inspiring 10-year old boy, at the Happy Ocean Beeswax Wrap DIY night on June 14th. We were so impressed by the changes he is proposing and implementing at his school that we wanted to learn more. We did an interview with him right then and there on the spot. Connor's ideas, passion and enthusiasm for protecting our environment and making a difference, one choice at a time is impactful. Take a moment to watch his interview:  A 10-Year-Old's Wisdom Inspires Hope for Our Island . We applaud Connor's incredible efforts and Happy Ocean will definitely keep in touch with him as his ideas and actions are further implemented. Thank you Connor, you are an inspiration!

Tonight Happy Ocean hosted another Beeswax Wrap DIY Night - there was so much demand for last week's session that we hosted this one for those on the waiting list. It was a big success and the participants enjoyed the evening, and some indicated that they plan to pay it forward further and make beeswax wraps for their family and friends. They also planned to take part in the Plastic Challenge and already completed one square by joining tonight "Invest in Beeswax wraps" . Here is a sampling of the participant's creations: We also had a few participants that were unable to attend, so these beautiful kind souls made their wraps and they will be given to the three that couldn't be there. OMAK their efforts. We were pleased to hear from this amazing family that they will be bringing what they learned back to Brazil and will be talking to the bee farmers about making these beeswax wraps for their community. The ripple effect is vibrant...

Happy Ocean was invited to participate at the 2nd annual Multicultural Kitchen Party at West Royalty Elementary School. There was a potluck for families and an Art Show filled with student made pieces. Performances included the West Royalty Elementary Student Choirs, Mi'kmaq dancing and drumming, student dancing and story telling. There were also cultural activities such as a flag waving Station, cultural passports and many information sharing kiosks. Happy Ocean had a kiosk showcasing our Plastic-Free Challenge, and an interactive exercise having the children reflect and respond to a photo of the boy lifting up the ocean and seeing plastic waste beneath the waves. We also gave away seed paper for children to make a wish, write their wish on the paper and then plant the seed paper in the ground (or a flower pot) to grow flowers. We also had a litterless lunch box generously donated as a door prize by Kitchens Unlimited . The children were very impressed and eager to win this amaz...