I’m just an ordinary girl with extraordinary dreams, making the most of this journey through life, and on a mission to save this amazing planet and all of the creatures who inhabit it; from microscopic invertebrates, to the world’s largest mammals and everything in between. They all need a voice, and they need our protection. There are so many ways we can have a positive impact if we just open our hearts and our minds.

The Podcast

My journey started one day when I was driving over to the New Hampshire coastline to do a little surfing and soak up some sunshine. Going to the ocean has always sparked a jitter of excitement in me. Waking up before the sun rises typically leaves me feeling tired and groggy, but on days I know I’m headed to the coast and will soon feel the soft, warm sand between my toes, it’s easy to shake off the early morning sleepiness. Excitement takes over, along with mixed feelings of joy, tranquility, and gratitude.

On this particular day, I had decided to listen to a podcast to help pass the time on the long 1.5 hour drive. Fittingly, on my drive to the beach, I decided to listen to a podcast I had downloaded a while ago, called “This Ocean Life Podcast” hosted by Josh Pederson. The particular episode that really stuck out to me was his interview with Kevin Dunn, founder and operator of BurnOut Suncare. Their discussion (which was fascinating and I would highly recommend checking it out) focused on the idea that sunscreen contains harmful chemicals, that not only negatively effect humans, but also harm the ocean, specifically coral reefs.

I grew up in Florida wearing sunscreen daily, and had never heard of, or thought one bit about how this white liquid I was putting on my body, might not be good for me, or the ocean, or the sea life that I love so much. Sunscreen has always been associated with protecting us from cancer, so why would we ever second guess the chemicals found in sunscreen might actually be harmful? Well, this got me thinking about other things that we use, or put in (or on) our bodies that could be harmful to not only ourselves, but also the environment. Once this can of worms was opened, there was no going back. I began reading articles on issues like sustainability, conservation, factory farming, reducing waste, climate change, etc…

I’m not going to lie, it’s very overwhelming and pretty depressing. As one might suspect, there is so much information out there. My hope for this blog is that it will give me a place to organize my thoughts, and provide some simple solutions and/or alternatives all of us can do to make our lives better by living healthier and creating the positive global change we need in order to continue life on Earth. We have to start somewhere, and that’s here and now.

The Takeaway

My intention for this blog is not meant to be doom and gloom. It’s about giving us hope, educating those who care, and inspiring those who don’t. At the end of each post, my goal is to leave you, my readers, with a takeaway. One easy thing you can do to have a positive impact on our environment (be sure to encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to join you).

Your first takeaway…do a little research before purchasing your next bottle of sunscreen. Find an eco-friendly (reef safe) brand that’s safe for you, your family, and the environment (a great place to start is BurnOut Suncare mentioned above). Challenge yourself to find a reef safe sunscreen that comes in eco-friendly packaging too. Check out this reef safe, plastic-free, and cruelty-free sunscreen at EcoRoots, which by the way, is one of my favorite online shops. They are committed to providing cruelty-free, zero waste and reusable products. They have lots to choose from and are really creative in their packaging. I’ll be referencing them a lot in future blogs, so stay tuned. 🙂 If you find an environmentally friendly sunscreen that you’re in love with, please be sure to share it in the comments!

Thanks for taking this journey with me to help save our beautiful planet!!!