Karen Peterson, Seacology, provided a highly interesting presentation to our club, with breathtaking imagery telling her journey and successful island protecting projects. Seacology (www.seacology.org) is a Berkeley, CA-based nonprofit organization that works only on the world’s islands, because they are uniquely vulnerable. In the last 500 years, 80 percent of all recorded extinctions have occurred on islands. Island communities face constant pressure to exploit their natural resources. But if a community wants to preserve its forest or sea, Seacology makes a grant for something the whole community needs, like a school, solar power, or help with ecotourism. Seacology helps island communities prosper by protecting resources – not exploiting them.
Karen’s presentation include success stories on the Dominican Republic National Mangrove Initiative and work in Africa and Sri Lanka, as well as Guatemala and El Salvador.
Link to the Rotary YouTube video with Karen Peterson: https://youtu.be/NxDOH4PwovY