Community group Living Ocean has won a 2016 Canon Australia Environmental Grants award for its 'No Plastic Please' beach clean-up campaign and marine studies program.
Not-for-profit campaigner Living Ocean and Helensvale State High School on the Gold Coast both received $5,000 worth of Canon equipment to assist their sustainability efforts. The runner up prize, including $1,000 worth of Canon equipment, was awarded to Marmion Primary School, located near Perth.
Living Ocean Incorporated, a Sydney-based organisation promoting the awareness of human impact on the ocean, is currently undertaking two key projects: a marine studies program and an anti coastal littering campaign called ‘No Plastic Please’.
The marine studies division, supported by researchers at Macquarie University, has been tracking marine activity off the coast of Sydney’s Northern Beaches for the last twelve years. ‘No Plastic Please’ has been running for five years promoting sustainable consumption of plastics to minimise plastic pollution in the ocean.
“We’re over the moon to be granted Canon equipment which is essential to the success of our marine work," said Robbi Luscombe Newman, creative director and co-founder of Living Ocean. "Using a lens with high magnification power will enable researchers to view detailed marks on whales and other coastal wildlife. Using pioneering software, these images will be stored as a GPS layer on Google Maps, forming an educational tool that will bring awareness to animal migration patterns."
In addition, Living Ocean will use the equipment for promotional work, interviewing volunteers – from marine scientists to beach cleaners – and sharing this for awareness on social media channels.
Senior students at Helensvale State High School on the Gold Coast are implementing a food crop experiment as part of the school’s horticulture program, aimed at increasing the growth of the seasonal vegetables and fruits in the school’s garden. These will then be sold to members of the community.
The trial is designed to decrease the use of bug sprays and eco oils that prevent optimal crop growth and will use Canon equipment to conduct time-lapse photography that will monitor predator insect behaviours on plants.
Year 4 students at Marmion Primary School, near Perth, Western Australia, gather every year to propagate seeds and take cuttings of native coastal plants. The process of seed propagation takes one year, meaning that students must wait for their plant to grow, before planting it at the local sand dunes when they are in Year 5.
Dunes provide habitat for plants and animals and protect beaches from erosion. Dunes are threatened by human activity and plating vegetation reduced the impact of wind and water.