Connecting with Our Oceans
February 23-24, 2024 Guest Speaker: Yaiza Santana
Patanjala Yoga Kendra came alive with colourful slides and videos of prehistoric lookingGrouper fish, oddly shaped upright swimming sea horses, elegant anemone, peaceful seaturtles and waving sea grass. The beauty and mystery of the ocean was on full display during a presentation by Yaiza Santana, a marine biologist who works for a community engagement project on Mallorca in the Mediterranean that aims to protect, restore and regenerate the sea.Community engagement is the catalyst for the change that is needed to regenerate the ocean and restore the biodiversity that has been lost through over fishing, pollution and climate change. Taking action requires working locally, establishing public education programs, conducting research and collaborating with locals to increase citizen participation in decision making. These are the strategies Save the Med Foundation has used effectively to bring about measurable habitat regeneration.
The National Conservation Foundation was highlighted as an Indian organization with several projects across the country taking bold action to conserve habitat. Members of the audience also shared Information about some of the groups working to regenerate the Ganga and action being taken locally to address littering and cow and animal welfare.
Organizing a day to collect litter along the Ganga or other areas was discussed as a way of taking a small step to address local issues.
Change begins with building a connection with nature, whether it’s the ocean or your local community. Yaiza encouraged everyone to start with small actions such as picking up litter or joining a local environmental group, and as an optimist she said those small actions will lead to big changes.
For more information about Yaiza’s project:
www.sadragonera.org / www.savethemed.org
To see the complete video:
https://youtu.be/bncH8fNWLdM