Three for me...
 Lead by inspiring.
Nothing gets people excited about ocean conservation like a strong passion and personal connection to our "blue backyard." You can inspire a community of ocean stewards by simply sharing your love of the ocean with others.
Share your ocean passion with a few of your best friends through: films, music, art, dance, storytelling, poetry, and by taking trips together to explore local shorelines, aquariums, nature centers and more. You can expand your networking for good by working through schools, community organizations, and faith groups, which are great ways to get families and the wider community involved.
Check out these environmental education and multi-media resources for creative ideas to get started today!
- Join the team.
Chances are there is a watershed, river, or ocean organization in your community that could use an extra bright mind and helpful hands to pull off local cleanups, habitat restoration, and other hands-on opportunities to improve your local stream, river, or lake and, ultimately, our shared ocean. Check out the North American and international community action maps and EPA's community group listing for opportunities near you.
Can't find something nearby? World Ocean Day, June 8th, is only a few months away and we'd love you to pioneer a celebration in your community! For ideas, check out what others have done.
- Make business bluer.
Your place of business can become a leader for a sustainable future. Businesses are getting more creative for conservation all the time! There is an ocean of opportunities to "blue" your workplace, from buying
sustainable supplies and recycling all types of products, to moderating the indoor temperature and conserving energy, to offering incentives for commuting by public transit or bicycle.
Contact us to get a batch of the Seas the Day bookmarks to distribute throughout your community and serve as reminders to your colleagues!
...and three for the seas
- Promote "schools helping schools".
Contact your local school and encourage them to help the schools of fish in the ocean by becoming a more sustainable institution and getting more involved in conservation. Schools can help by minimizing waste, recycling, decreasing energy and water use, using "blue" cleaning products, cutting fertilizer use, participating in local cleanups, and taking more educational and inspiring field tips to local nature centers. Check out these tips for teachers to get started and forward this information to principals and teachers in your school district.
You can also help by telling the U.S. Congress to support Environmental Education in the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act.
- Become a sustainable seafood advocate.
Every community needs a good sustainable seafood advocate! Leveraging consumer demand for change is a powerful way to usher in a new era of ocean-wise fisheries. You can help by informing restaurants, seafood mongers, and grocery stores in your area of good and bad seafood choices.
Meet face to face with restaurant owners, supermarket managers, and get the word out in local newspapers and through your social networks. Contact Monterey Bay Aquarium and they'll provide you with lots of Seafood Watch guides to distribute in your community.
You can find more trustworthy information on eating sustainably in our Consume Consciously "issue paper".
- Get the ocean in the spotlight.
Do you wish there was something about the ocean in the local newspaper and on the local 6 o'clock news? Use the power of local newspapers, radio stations, community groups, and businesses to get the ocean in the spotlight - use this collection of environmental communication resources and websites to help you bring the ocean home.
Suggest that your local radio station play the Song for the Ocean and ask them to run an 'ocean tip of the day' during the morning show (you can pull them right off our Seas the Day pages) or air Our Ocean World as a daily feature. Stations are always looking for new creative ideas!
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