Thank you, Sandra van der Sommen from The The Lost Gypsy Gallery, in Papatowai for this original, beautiful Sea Society drawing. The Committee Members and I are delighted !Sea Society came to be in March 2019. My friend and Committee Member Gwen and I had just returned from (must do) Cape Brett Peninsula and went snorkeling at Deep Water Cove in Northland NZ. We were horrified to discover the ocean floor littered with carpet, plastic, and other debris. I decided to begin reducing my personal consumption and environmental impact and document it on Sea Society. In February 2020, I moved to Invercargill to study Environmental Management. To integrate myself into the Southland NZ community, I began hosting local rubbish clean ups and eventually hosted seven, collecting over 1,050 kg of rubbish with the help of the dedicated volunteers. In May 2020, my friend and Committee Member Luke and I visited Cannibal Bay in The Catlins and witnessed a New Zealand sea lion/pakake bull (male) being continuously harassed by a truck. After writing numerous letters to local politicians and organisations, I started the petition on Change.org to protect sea lions from vehicular vandalism. From February 2021, I invited six talented individuals Luke, Gwen, Isabella, André, Clara and Ellen to join Sea Society’s Committee and one day we will register as a Charity. Thank you for joining us on this journey!
