World Oceans Day 2018 – Get Involved!

While we’re all about the mountains here at Love The Mountains, it’s undeniable the oceans are hugely important to maintaining the outdoor world that we all love. Today, Friday 8 June, is World Oceans Day 2018 and the focus this year is on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean. As a result, many events and activities will be taking place across the UK (and indeed the world) over the coming weekend to celebrate World Oceans Day and promote further awareness of the problems posed by plastic in our oceans. So how can you get involved?

Movie Screenings

Screenings of the movie ‘A Plastic Ocean’ will be taking place across the country. Described as “one of the most important films of our time” by Sir David Attenborough himself,  A Plastic Ocean is a feature-length adventure documentary film highlighting the devastating consequences of our global disposable lifestyle on the world’s oceans. The film’s international team of adventurers, researchers, and Ocean ambassadors travel the globe and uncover the shocking truth about the reality beneath the surface of our seemingly pristine Ocean.

Sheffield Docfest are presenting the World Premiere of Stefan Stuckert’s ‘Against the Tides’, followed by a Q&A. Taking place today at the Showroom Cinema in Sheffield, this screening will celebrate humanity’s connection to the world’s oceans, following the extraordinary story of marathon swimmer Beth French as she attempts the world’s most extreme swimming challenge.

Meanwhile, Odeon Cinema in Exeter will be screening BLUE, a film about the sad state of our oceans and how we can help them. Featuring passionate advocates for ocean preservation and experts in the field, this film tackles themes of habitat destruction, species loss and plastic pollution. Filmed in the seas surrounding Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and the USA, BLUE looks at how the very nature of the ocean is being altered and how we can protect it from this change.

Educational Activity Days

At Walpole Bay in Margate today, visitors can take part in a ‘seaside safari’, learning about the area’s coastline, rockpool wildlife and chalk reefs, as well as gaining advice on plastic alternatives and how you can cut down on your plastic use.

Similar educational activity days will be held at Calshot Beach in Hampshire, Le Braye (St Ouens Bay) – Jersey Channel Islands and a large World Ocean’s Day educational event has been organised by the newly-founded Cambridge University Marine Conservation Society (CUMCS) in Cambridge.

Beach Cleans

These will be taking place across the UK, at locations including:

• Constantine Bay, Cornwall
• Solway Coast, North Cumbria
• Holywood, Belfast
• Rest Bay Beach, Porthcrawl, Bridgend
• Grays, Essex
• The National Marine Aquarium will also be organising a number of beach cleans throughout the day in Plymouth, Devon.

March For The Ocean – 9th June

On Saturday 9th June, thousands of ocean lovers will be taking part in ‘March For The Ocean’ (M4O) in Parliament Square, London. An event planned in solidarity with the large M4O march organised for the same day in Washington DC, the London event will bring together people from across the country who are passionate about our world’s oceans.

Support Source 2 Sea

From June 8th – June 29th, Carlos and Carolyn from The Whale Company are paddling 300km from the source of the River Thames at Lechlade, all the way to the sea at Gravesend – source to sea. They are using two stand up paddle boards made out of plastic bottles along the route, they will talk to schools, MPs and local councillors in a bid to inspire behavioural change, enhance awareness and encourage innovative solutions to the plastic pollution issues in our seas.
Learn more about their journey at: https://thewhalecompany.co.uk/source2sea/

Other events taking place around the country include ‘aquaculture’ conferences, Blue Economy Forums, talks and even rockpool rambles. View the full calendar of UK events here.

If you can’t make one of these events, World Oceans Day have many suggestions as to how you can help.

From showing your support on social media by sharing important content from @WorldOceansDay on Facebook or Twitter and using the hashtag #WorldOceansDay, to planning mini aquatic cleanups of your own (be it at a beach, river or general nature spot). Organise a plastic pollution lesson for others in your community or simply think about shopping sustainably and creating meals with sustainable seafood, even if this means using ingredients you may not have tried before!