Wishing you all fair (er) seas for 2022.

2020 and 2021 are a little bit Saltwater blurry as there were no fine ocean moments to punctuate our land days. We couldn’t even bring previous Saltwater partners, stakeholders, crew and supporters together as planned, to celebrate the terrific shared work-platform of Pelican1. We wanted to share many of the ocean dialogues inspired over 15 years and 85,000 nautical miles. We plan to hopefully do that this year! Thankfully, while travelling through the largely uncharted waters of 2021- Saltwater Projects managed to meet, plan and connect- even if only via Zoom.

The good news for Pelican1 is that her new owner has given her a huge spruce up. In fact, as well as looking a little different - she has a new name. Ocean Guardian. She spent the better half of last year on the hard up on the Gold Coast. She is now launched and back at her home port of Yamba, NSW.

Saltwater Projects was part of the fabric of the vessel formerly known as Pelican1 and may garner some affiliation with her new chapter and climb on board. But the reality is, with the pandemic still happening, we may not be able to work easily in close quarters just yet.

So on that note, and in news fundamental to the life of Saltwater Projects, I am thrilled to formally introduce two new Saltwater Directors. Harry Breidahl and Ian Campbell.

Harry Breidahl teaching Ocean Literacy principles on board Pelican1.

Many of you would know, in fact, everyone following our Saltwater story, would know Harry Breidahl (pictured above). I first met Harry when having initial meetings with Parks Victoria for the Two Bays program in 2006. Mark Rodrigue introduced the two of us. Harry Breidahl has always been a huge part of our projects, particularly Two Bays and certainly a key inspiration to me and our Saltwater crew. For those who don’t know Harry- here’s an intro …

Harry has worked in Australia for 50 years in marine and environmental education as a secondary school teacher and university lecturer, author and researcher. He was a founding member of both the Marine Education Society of Australia (MESA) and the Victorian Association for Environmental Education (VAEE). His work has inspired change to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people in Australia and around the world. Harry has been a prominent community member, assisting environmental community groups and giving prodigious amounts of personal time for sustainability outcomes along the Victorian coast, most recently helping to facilitate the creation of Point Nepean National Park. As a fiercely active advocate for marine education and conservation, Harry has, often without pay, donated long hours to continuing the development of regional, national and international networks of marine educators. One result of this international collaboration has been the formation of the International Marine Educators Network (IPMEN). His awards include the 2003 Parks Victoria Life Contribution Award for marine education, the 2007 Victorian Coastal Award (Outstanding Individual Achievement), 2007 MESA Presidents Award, the 2009 National Marine Educators Association (USA) Marine Education Award and the 2004 Monash University Faculty of Education Dean’s Learning and Teaching Award: Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. Although now retired from formal employment, Harry’s current interests are focused on promoting the concept of Ocean Literacy, both in Australia and internationally.

Ian Campbell teaching on board Pelican1.

Ian Campbell, pictured above, has been involved in one way or another in many of Saltwater Projects since inception. While crew on many of the Two Bays projects on board Pelican1, he also acted from time to time as convenor and educator. He is an educator, artist and sailor with vast experience in community building and in Arts education in Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary settings. Throughout his career, Ian was instrumental in pioneering and leading many Arts festivals, cultural events and other specialised programs both within educational organisations and in the wider community. A graduate of the inaugural Geelong Community Leadership Program in 2020, Ian has further developed his interest in community driven projects. He joined the Board of Directors of Saltwater with a view to enhancing opportunities to further enrich our understanding and respect for the oceans.

Clearly I have remained on board. Over the pandemic years I have ended up spending a lot of time in a developing wetland in Melbourne and am now very involved with the epa (Elsternwick Park Association) as President. The epa is an active group set up to connect the community to being involved in and help create and monitor the 10 year Masterplan to regenerate and build a wetland reserve. I have been recently involved in propagating aquatic plants and planting, which has been my small contribution to water quality in Nairm (Port Phillip Bay) over the recent period. It has meant that I have continued to work with N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs-Boonwurrung Elder as she is playing a key cultural role in the development of the new reserve. My work with the epa will be definitely connected to my role with Saltwater Projects, not least of which will be developing a project to study the eels in Elster Creek.

Saltwater will continue to be involved with developing Ocean-inspired projects and consulting on experiential learning about the Ocean. We hope to be able to share our developing ideas and projects and celebrate our past successes in an event soon. Though by the looks of the Omicron clouds - we may have to wait a little longer for face to face meetings in larger groups.

UNESCO launched the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development early last year and Harry has been involved in the consulting team that set up the Ocean Literacy outreach. Since Saltwater’s inception climate change and Ocean health has been a huge driver for our research programs and Ocean Literacy/ education work. As you probably know, the ocean covers over 70% of the Earth's surface and plays a critical role in capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. Around 25% of all CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean, making it one of the world's largest 'carbon sinks'. But now, as the scientists are telling us, we have a very short time frame to try to keep the world’s climate on a safe trajectory (as no-one seemed to listen to scientists for the last 30 years!). We hope to play a part through championing Ocean Literacy here in Australia and the Pacific and developing diverse opportunities for ocean dialogues across multiple disciplines.

Harry and I are both on the committee for IPMEN (International Pacific Marine Educators Network) and even though our ability to meet in person has been Covid-snapped , there has been more active discussions and connections formed through constant meeting over Zoom rather than our usual biennial conferences. We plan to keep playing a role to invigorate Pacific Ocean networks through knowledge sharing and, in the Age of Climate Change and Covid, developing innovative on-line platforms for ocean dialogues and bolstering Ocean Literacy. IPMEN is very focused on ensuring Traditional Ecological Knowledge is given equal footing with science. Saltwater Projects plans to be involved in setting up opportunities for Ocean Dialogues, just as we did on Pelican1, but in new and hopefully engaging ways. If you are interested in more information about broader Ocean issues and how they stand from a global perspective in the context of climate change, here’s a good summary from Cop 26 in Glasgow.

Harry with N’arwee’t Prof. Carolyn Briggs, Boonwurrung Elder, working together during Two Bays.

Finally we would like to thank again all the people that participated in and with Saltwater Projects over the last decade and a half and an especially big thank you to the two previous directors Garry McKechnie and Nick Kelly. On behalf of the new Directors and myself, sending every good wish and hopes for the health of the Ocean and your good selves. Our New Year’s wish is that we, as a small team, can continue to contribute meaningfully to the work required to be better custodians of this ailing ocean planet.

Best Wishes to you all from Natalie Davey, Harry Breidahl and Ian Campbell

SEAsonal wave January 2022