[Applause] Jim so on a cold day in the winter of
Jim so on a cold day in the winter of
Jim so on a cold day in the winter of 2006 we were off surfing on the cliff
2006 we were off surfing on the cliff
2006 we were off surfing on the cliff walk the Sun started to set and so we
walk the Sun started to set and so we
walk the Sun started to set and so we started to go back to our car when we
started to go back to our car when we
started to go back to our car when we got there we were told that we were
got there we were told that we were
got there we were told that we were parking was private property and it
parking was private property and it
parking was private property and it wasn’t public it didn’t make sense to us
wasn’t public it didn’t make sense to us
wasn’t public it didn’t make sense to us so we went to the police station and we
so we went to the police station and we
so we went to the police station and we told them that the issue and they told
told them that the issue and they told
told them that the issue and they told us that we had to go see the City
us that we had to go see the City
us that we had to go see the City Council so that’s what we did in the
Council so that’s what we did in the
Council so that’s what we did in the summer of 2006 there was a sewage spill
summer of 2006 there was a sewage spill
summer of 2006 there was a sewage spill at the beach and I got area surfers
at the beach and I got area surfers
at the beach and I got area surfers talking about water quality a few weeks
talking about water quality a few weeks
talking about water quality a few weeks later there was an even bigger sewage
later there was an even bigger sewage
later there was an even bigger sewage spill it was called the ruptured force
spill it was called the ruptured force
spill it was called the ruptured force main of a pipe coming from Middletown to
main of a pipe coming from Middletown to
main of a pipe coming from Middletown to Newport and I got people talking about
Newport and I got people talking about
Newport and I got people talking about water quality even more a couple days
water quality even more a couple days
water quality even more a couple days later some people somehow contacted
later some people somehow contacted
later some people somehow contacted myself and a friend and they brought to
myself and a friend and they brought to
myself and a friend and they brought to us an issue with accessing the coastline
us an issue with accessing the coastline
us an issue with accessing the coastline in Middletown these things happened for
in Middletown these things happened for
in Middletown these things happened for me my connection to the ocean is
me my connection to the ocean is
me my connection to the ocean is obviously riding waves and you would
obviously riding waves and you would
obviously riding waves and you would think that someone who loves the ocean
think that someone who loves the ocean
think that someone who loves the ocean and has a passion for enjoying time and
and has a passion for enjoying time and
and has a passion for enjoying time and it would care about things like water
it would care about things like water
it would care about things like water quality plastic in the ocean but the
quality plastic in the ocean but the
quality plastic in the ocean but the reality is these things weren’t really
reality is these things weren’t really
reality is these things weren’t really on my mind 11 years ago and it took a
on my mind 11 years ago and it took a
on my mind 11 years ago and it took a certain sequence of events to make a
certain sequence of events to make a
certain sequence of events to make a citizen science movement come together
citizen science movement come together
citizen science movement come together of taking good care of our environment
of taking good care of our environment
of taking good care of our environment and taking good care of each other I was
and taking good care of each other I was
and taking good care of each other I was on a surf trip to Hawaii actually I was
on a surf trip to Hawaii actually I was
on a surf trip to Hawaii actually I was there to see my mom and in the spring of
there to see my mom and in the spring of
there to see my mom and in the spring of 2006 and after one of the wettest
2006 and after one of the wettest
2006 and after one of the wettest marches on record the sewage system
marches on record the sewage system
marches on record the sewage system downtown Hawaii was just overloaded with
downtown Hawaii was just overloaded with
downtown Hawaii was just overloaded with rainwater and they had this thing called
rainwater and they had this thing called
rainwater and they had this thing called the ruptured force name at that time I
the ruptured force name at that time I
the ruptured force name at that time I had no idea what that meant but I what I
had no idea what that meant but I what I
had no idea what that meant but I what I did realize is that millions of gallons
did realize is that millions of gallons
did realize is that millions of gallons of untreated sewage jump directly onto
of untreated sewage jump directly onto
of untreated sewage jump directly onto the Ala Wai canal which flowed directly
the Ala Wai canal which flowed directly
the Ala Wai canal which flowed directly into waikiki beach so that’s kind of my
into waikiki beach so that’s kind of my
into waikiki beach so that’s kind of my story of how i got connected with taking
story of how i got connected with taking
story of how i got connected with taking good care of the environment whether you
good care of the environment whether you
good care of the environment whether you enjoy surfing sailing walking at the
enjoy surfing sailing walking at the
enjoy surfing sailing walking at the beach swimming or just enjoying time by
beach swimming or just enjoying time by
beach swimming or just enjoying time by the ocean we all have something that
the ocean we all have something that
the ocean we all have something that can access in a passionate way to the
can access in a passionate way to the
can access in a passionate way to the environment and when something happens
environment and when something happens
environment and when something happens that makes you think about that passion
that makes you think about that passion
that makes you think about that passion is going to be at risk it makes you take
is going to be at risk it makes you take
is going to be at risk it makes you take action it makes you realize that you
action it makes you realize that you
action it makes you realize that you need to do something to protect our
need to do something to protect our
need to do something to protect our environment so when I think about
environment so when I think about
environment so when I think about getting involved that’s one of the first
getting involved that’s one of the first
getting involved that’s one of the first things that we have to do to take better
things that we have to do to take better
things that we have to do to take better care of our environment and it really
care of our environment and it really
care of our environment and it really starts with volunteers and the best way
starts with volunteers and the best way
starts with volunteers and the best way I describe volunteerism is that people
I describe volunteerism is that people
I describe volunteerism is that people care people want to get involved to make
care people want to get involved to make
care people want to get involved to make a difference to make this a better place
a difference to make this a better place
a difference to make this a better place and what volunteers are looking for is
and what volunteers are looking for is
and what volunteers are looking for is they’re looking for activities that are
they’re looking for activities that are
they’re looking for activities that are fun easy and impactful somewhere in
fun easy and impactful somewhere in
fun easy and impactful somewhere in there is also the concept of rewarding
there is also the concept of rewarding
there is also the concept of rewarding volunteers want to know when something
volunteers want to know when something
volunteers want to know when something starts and they want to know when
starts and they want to know when
starts and they want to know when something finishes they want to know
something finishes they want to know
something finishes they want to know that the contribution that they’re
that the contribution that they’re
that the contribution that they’re making is something too much greater and
making is something too much greater and
making is something too much greater and a bigger cause but they can see the
a bigger cause but they can see the
a bigger cause but they can see the connection between what they do and
connection between what they do and
connection between what they do and where you’re going those are the core
where you’re going those are the core
where you’re going those are the core values that you can never forget when
values that you can never forget when
values that you can never forget when you want to create a citizen science
you want to create a citizen science
you want to create a citizen science movement to take better care of the
movement to take better care of the
movement to take better care of the environment make it fun make it easy
environment make it fun make it easy
environment make it fun make it easy make it impactful and part of that is
make it impactful and part of that is
make it impactful and part of that is architecting programs that you take
architecting programs that you take
architecting programs that you take entire initiatives and you create
entire initiatives and you create
entire initiatives and you create loosely coupled activities so that
loosely coupled activities so that
loosely coupled activities so that people can get involved and they can
people can get involved and they can
people can get involved and they can make a difference on our own we all have
make a difference on our own we all have
make a difference on our own we all have our own opinions by the comfort of our
our own opinions by the comfort of our
our own opinions by the comfort of our couch and sitting in armchairs we form
couch and sitting in armchairs we form
couch and sitting in armchairs we form opinions about politics worldly and
opinions about politics worldly and
opinions about politics worldly and local affairs those form our differences
local affairs those form our differences
local affairs those form our differences but then when it comes to ideas like
but then when it comes to ideas like
but then when it comes to ideas like water quality and marine debris and
water quality and marine debris and
water quality and marine debris and ocean health and public access these
ocean health and public access these
ocean health and public access these things actually bring us together and
things actually bring us together and
things actually bring us together and those differences become our greatest
those differences become our greatest
those differences become our greatest strengths by working together people can
strengths by working together people can
strengths by working together people can actually harness the dire art of
actually harness the dire art of
actually harness the dire art of diversity to actually move the needle
diversity to actually move the needle
diversity to actually move the needle forward and protecting our environment
forward and protecting our environment
forward and protecting our environment so whether it’s retired professionals
so whether it’s retired professionals
so whether it’s retired professionals students scientists technologists
students scientists technologists
students scientists technologists contractors or experts in professional
contractors or experts in professional
contractors or experts in professional fields everyone comes together in a
fields everyone comes together in a
fields everyone comes together in a citizen science movement and makes a
citizen science movement and makes a
citizen science movement and makes a contribution that’s defined and it’s
contribution that’s defined and it’s
contribution that’s defined and it’s something that makes them feel good and
something that makes them feel good and
something that makes them feel good and it contributes to the greater whole
one of the things that you have to do
one of the things that you have to do with citizen science movie is you need a
with citizen science movie is you need a
with citizen science movie is you need a sense of activism and activism is all
sense of activism and activism is all
sense of activism and activism is all about taking a tool and making changes
about taking a tool and making changes
about taking a tool and making changes with it so we put together our citizen
with it so we put together our citizen
with it so we put together our citizen science movement to really protect and
science movement to really protect and
science movement to really protect and improve the environment of aquidneck
improve the environment of aquidneck
improve the environment of aquidneck island in the last 11 years we focused
island in the last 11 years we focused
island in the last 11 years we focused on marine debris and by engaging
on marine debris and by engaging
on marine debris and by engaging thousands of people over every year to
thousands of people over every year to
thousands of people over every year to take better care of this planet whether
take better care of this planet whether
take better care of this planet whether it’s marine debris removal or marine
it’s marine debris removal or marine
it’s marine debris removal or marine debris prevention plastic to the ocean
debris prevention plastic to the ocean
debris prevention plastic to the ocean we’ve been able to put together a data
we’ve been able to put together a data
we’ve been able to put together a data set that’s allowed the scientific and
set that’s allowed the scientific and
set that’s allowed the scientific and policy-making community to make
policy-making community to make
policy-making community to make better-informed decisions to improve the
better-informed decisions to improve the
better-informed decisions to improve the ocean health and at least get the
ocean health and at least get the
ocean health and at least get the subject going so that people are more
subject going so that people are more
subject going so that people are more aware of it when we started 11 years ago
aware of it when we started 11 years ago
aware of it when we started 11 years ago the topic of trash on the beach and
the topic of trash on the beach and
the topic of trash on the beach and plastic in the ocean perhaps we’re aware
plastic in the ocean perhaps we’re aware
plastic in the ocean perhaps we’re aware of it but it wasn’t something as that’s
of it but it wasn’t something as that’s
of it but it wasn’t something as that’s driving you know really a worldwide
driving you know really a worldwide
driving you know really a worldwide effort right now to improve ocean health
effort right now to improve ocean health
effort right now to improve ocean health when it comes to water quality we were
when it comes to water quality we were
when it comes to water quality we were told that the bacteria dies off when the
told that the bacteria dies off when the
told that the bacteria dies off when the water gets cold and that’s just not the
water gets cold and that’s just not the
water gets cold and that’s just not the case we started an island-wide weekly
case we started an island-wide weekly
case we started an island-wide weekly year-round water quality program that’s
year-round water quality program that’s
year-round water quality program that’s really kept the heightened awareness on
really kept the heightened awareness on
really kept the heightened awareness on water quality it’s kept it at the
water quality it’s kept it at the
water quality it’s kept it at the forefront of decision making an action
forefront of decision making an action
forefront of decision making an action planning I mean clean water is obviously
planning I mean clean water is obviously
planning I mean clean water is obviously very important for all of us and last
very important for all of us and last
very important for all of us and last but not least we’ve had an active voice
but not least we’ve had an active voice
but not least we’ve had an active voice and taking good care of the coastline
and taking good care of the coastline
and taking good care of the coastline trying to preserve the natural beauty
trying to preserve the natural beauty
trying to preserve the natural beauty and printed ruggedness in either
and printed ruggedness in either
and printed ruggedness in either intercepting or get ahead of development
intercepting or get ahead of development
intercepting or get ahead of development that really gets in the way of our
that really gets in the way of our
that really gets in the way of our ability to access a clean ocean but the
ability to access a clean ocean but the
ability to access a clean ocean but the final piece that really is a citizen
final piece that really is a citizen
final piece that really is a citizen science movement is it’s really about
science movement is it’s really about
science movement is it’s really about community it’s about people getting
community it’s about people getting
community it’s about people getting together and caring about the same thing
together and caring about the same thing
together and caring about the same thing our differences are our strengths but
our differences are our strengths but
our differences are our strengths but when we come together and we work on the
when we come together and we work on the
when we come together and we work on the same thing that’s when we really build
same thing that’s when we really build
same thing that’s when we really build that wave of momentum and it’s a way
that wave of momentum and it’s a way
that wave of momentum and it’s a way that you want to ride citizen science
that you want to ride citizen science
that you want to ride citizen science provides a data set it’s reliable it’s
provides a data set it’s reliable it’s
provides a data set it’s reliable it’s scalable it’s transferable it’s usable
scalable it’s transferable it’s usable
scalable it’s transferable it’s usable scientists and policymakers can use this
scientists and policymakers can use this
scientists and policymakers can use this information to make better informed
information to make better informed
information to make better informed decisions about how to take good care of
decisions about how to take good care of
decisions about how to take good care of our environment citizen science itself
our environment citizen science itself
our environment citizen science itself doesn’t actually solve the environmental
doesn’t actually solve the environmental
doesn’t actually solve the environmental problems what is the vehicle for change
problems what is the vehicle for change
problems what is the vehicle for change citizen science is a wave and it
citizen science is a wave and it
citizen science is a wave and it definitely pays off thank you
definitely pays off thank you
definitely pays off thank you [Applause]
”
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