Introductions: Maya Plass

Already Midway Atoll and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National monument has had a big influence on me. At the end of last year I had an email from Ron Hirschi (a participant on the PAA trip in 2009) asking if I would like to have Fred the Monkey come visit me here in the UK. Naturally, I said yes and so began an amazing journey that I am still finding hard to believe. Fred the teddy monkey came to me in a little brown box full of materials and information about this tiny island called Midway Atoll. The stories, situation, and wildlife that I learned about were incredible. He was spreading the word on marine litter, ocean conservation and about Papahanaumokuakea.

Here, in England I work in South Devon from “Learn To Sea” working with children and adults on marine conservation issues. We run beach cleans, marine conservation workshops, after school classes etc. and within this I am often found to be talking rubbish! A global perspective of the Pacific Garbage Patch and its impact was & has been really interesting for me. Fred has become a great work assistant and we have travelled to schools, local tourist attractions and talked about the impact of marine litter on Midway and locally. So it was through Fred & Ron that this opportunity arose and one I couldn’t pass up!

I feel so very honoured to be the first international participant and will take away and give as much as I possibly can. Work is already underway with a local primary school to prepare them to twin them with another school in Hawaii. I hope that they can share culture, friendship, traditions and stories and share and compare their coastline and common threats in a wonderful celebration of the ocean with a global perspective. Hopefully, this will be a pilot study that will then be rolled out to other schools in the area and create lots of sister schools! So that is a prime aspiration for this trip to find a sister school for Blackawton Primary School and develop a program of twinning.

There are so many things that I hope to achieve from this trip – new friends, experiences and knowledge. It is an amazing opportunity to share 10 days with other marine educators to brainstorm on all things ocean and coastal. All the time we will be being inspired by all the amazing wildlife and people around us. I look forward to learning about different marine education styles, tips, knowledge & experiences and gaining new perspectives.
I know this trip and magical place has already touched me deeply. I eagerly anticipate where it will take me, Learn To Sea and the children of the schools in South Devon in the future. It is a great privilege and opportunity which we will share to promote the protection and conservation of our seas both near and far.