Monterey, California – Inspiration for Environmental Conservation

I am writing this while sitting on the beach, overlooking Monterey Bay. I was reflecting on my life and the path, which lead me full circle to this very spot on the beach.

I first visit Monterey, California when I was six years old, during a trip to visit family in San Jose. The city and surrounding area on the coast of California is historic and beautiful. The city is somehow both, quiet and filled with life. We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where I saw the life that lives in the ocean for the first time. I remember gazing into the tanks marveling at the underwater world in awe.  

I saw my first shark that day, and I will never forget the moment, as it sparked a life long love affair with the ocean, the environment, and biodiversity. The shark was so smooth, she moved so easily and quickly through the water, I had to know more.

I spent the next several years of my life obsessively learning everything I could about the ocean. I read every book, and watched every documentary I could get my hands on in the library. I begged my parents to take me to the ocean; at every chance I was underwater, snorkeling, swimming and marveling at a world so very different from ours.  At 12 (the then minimum age for a certification), while on a family vacation in Hawaii, I became a certified PADI Open Water Diver.  I saved for two years to pay for the training costs; indeed many of my decisions in my early years were driven by my passion for the ocean.

I spent many summers diving in Hawaii, in love with the colors of the coral and the fish. As I grew older I began to see the correlation between the health of our oceans and the influence of human impact. My understanding of an ecosystem in or out of balance became apparent in other biomes as well. A born and raised Arizonan I could see our desert withering in the way of rapid sub-urban growth. The ocean was only one of many ecosystems in peril. As a teenage this angered me.

Time marched on, I moved forward with my life. I went to university and obtained a masters degree. I found myself moving into adulthood and completely disconnected from nature and the ocean. Life was in the way. So I quit, I quit it all. I returned to my first love, the ocean.

I travelled around the world carrying on an international love affair with coral reefs, deserts, rainforests, glaciers, jungles, savannahs, and every other diverse and magical land our planet has to offer. I traveled for years, across entire continents, and then it happened, after several months in Southeast Asia, while sitting on the beach in Thailand (apparently I do a lot of thinking at the beach); I knew where I wanted to go with my life. I had been around the globe in the last two years, during which I worked and traveled through 15 states and 18 countries. A common theme emerged: American’s are wasteful. In Canada, our northern counterpart, efforts to recycle, conserve and reduce environmental impact were apparent everywhere. In rapidly developing countries like Guatemala, and Thailand there was strategic development that left room for nature, people (including the wealthy) were more careful about what and how they consumed resources.

In countries with widespread poverty and income disparity, like Cambodia and South Africa, water and food security took a central focus; mass consumption had not yet trumped necessities. While working in Utila, Honduras I repeatedly found myself without access to fresh water, the little island just seemed to run out. Water to drink was expensive and forget a 15 minute hot shower. Nonetheless, despite hardship, the people of these nations were happy. They didn’t need a car for every person in their household. They could live happy full successful lives with much less.

Seeing this had a huge impact on me. It changed how I view “stuff” and how I consume.  The lessons I learned from traveling the world brought me to where I am today. Studying Environmental Science and getting ready to apply for graduate programs in environmental sustainability. I believe we can all live more sustainable lives and I want to be a part of that change.

And to think it all started with a shark.