Marine Life & Conservation
Force Blue Honoured at Blue Mind Summit
Force Blue receives 5th annual Blue Mind Works award at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
Wallace J Nichols PhD presented the 5th Annual Blue Mind Works Award to Nicole Rosga and Jim Ritterhoff of FORCE BLUE at the 8th Annual Blue Mind Summit held in Miami, Florida on October 4th where the theme was “Water Is Medicine”. The award recognizes an individual and/or organization for efforts that mechanize positive change in their community by putting Blue Mind science into action.
The FORCE BLUE team has connected the dots between ecological and emotional health and the benefits an active, regenerative, service-oriented aquatic lifestyle. Their leadership is changing for good the conversation about the full value of clean, healthy oceans and reefs.
“We admire the work of FORCE BLUE, uniting Special Operations veterans around service for our oceans, restoring coral reefs, and healing human hearts and minds in the process. There really are no better spokespeople for the many benefits of healthy waters and oceans than these men and women,” says Dr. Wallace J Nichols, founder of Blue Mind Works. “We’re very pleased to award the 5th Annual Blue Mind Works Award to these planetary heroes.”
The award was presented at the Frost Museum of Science in Miami by Dr. Bill Kent of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, last year’s award recipient.
“By starting a program that isn’t just about helping veterans or just about helping the marine environment, but about helping both, we’re really uniting two worlds,” said co-founder and Executive Director Jim Ritterhoff. “Hopefully, FORCE BLUE will encourage each to look at the other with a bit more empathy and understanding.”
Recognising the especially heavy emotional, mental and physical burden veterans, active duty military and first responders shoulder daily, FORCE BLUE Operations Director, airman in the Air National Guard, and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, Nicole Rosga stated, “I wouldn’t be here without this work. I literally wouldn’t be here on Earth.”
Past recipients include the community of Carbondale, Illinois who were presented with the award in 2016 for their work to open the Carbondale Super Splash Park -Outdoor Aquatic Facility. The park ideation team included President of the Board of Commissioners Harvey Welch, an African American gentleman whose entire life was changed by his inability to swim as a child. His work within his community engaged leaders and residents alike in their quest to give everyone the opportunity to learn to swim.
Previous recipients of the award also include University of Virginia’s Professor of Sustainable Communities, Tim Beatley, for his work with Biophilic Cities Projectaround the world and his groundbreaking book, Blue Urbanism; and Van and Amanda Curaza of Operation Surf, an organization providing surf therapy for veterans throughout the United States and United Kingdom.
The award is a large hand blown glass “blue marble” sphere created by Lundberg Studio in Davenport, CA and is passed to each subsequent recipient.
About FORCE BLUE
FORCE BLUE’s mission is to unite the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine conservation for the betterment of both.
The idea grew out of a dive trip co-founders Jim Ritterhoff and Rudy Reyes took to the Cayman Islands in Summer 2015 to meet up with their friend, Keith Sahm, General Manager of Sunset House, the oldest continuously operated dive resort in the Caribbean. For Ritterhoff and Sahm, experienced recreational divers who’d been reef diving for decades, this was just another week in paradise. But for Reyes, a former Recon Marine who had struggled with PTS and depression since returning home from multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the experience was nothing short of life changing.
About Blue Mind Works
Blue Mind Works to create a new water story based in the best science and practice, supports and advises those on the frontline of reconnecting people to water, sponsors the Annual Blue Mind Summit, the Annual Blue Mind Award, and shares their message around the world via a wide range of media, events, and workshops.
About Wallace J Nichols PhD
Dr. Wallace “J.” Nichols, called “Keeper of the Sea” by GQ Magazine and “a visionary” by Outside Magazine is an innovative, silo-busting, entrepreneurial scientist, movement maker, renown marine biologist, voracious Earth and idea explorer, wild water advocate, bestselling author, sought after lecturer, and fun-loving Dad. His experiences as a field research scientist, government consultant, founder and director of numerous businesses and nonprofit organizations, teacher, mentor, parent, and advisor all support his quest to build a stronger and more diverse blue movement.
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
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