Michael Fitzgerald - California
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I am a former Army combat diver and current NAUI Instructor. My wife and I opened our own dive shop in Clovis, Ca. One of the first things we wanted to implement was a clean-up program. Since we are at least 2 hours away from the ocean we decided to focus on our local lakes and waterways. We started our Lake Clean-Up dives right after we opened in September 2019. Since then we have conducted these clean up dives monthly. We move each month to a different lake and as a thank you to our divers we provide them with free air fills, rental gear and we either make or purchase lunch for everyone. Since we started this program, we have had an average of 14 divers at each event. It is so popular that our divers are constantly asking when the next one will occur. We currently bear all the expenses for these events and are trying to raise funds to not only continue our clean-up operations here, but we would like to start expanding our events to include our coastline. We would like to raise enough funds to provide rooms and food for our divers to join us in trips to Monterey, Morro Bay, Pismo, Santa Cruz and other coastal beaches for the purpose of clean up. We would like to have the funds to do these every 3 months at least.
I think that for us to conduct our local monthly clean up, as well as expanding to the coastal clean ups, we would need to raise at least $10,000 to cover these events for the whole year.
We are participating in this because we believe in cleaning and protecting our waterway and marine life both fresh and salt water. We have been and will continue to do all that we can to support the NAUI Green Diver Initiative and clean our waterways.
I think that for us to conduct our local monthly clean up, as well as expanding to the coastal clean ups, we would need to raise at least $10,000 to cover these events for the whole year.
We are participating in this because we believe in cleaning and protecting our waterway and marine life both fresh and salt water. We have been and will continue to do all that we can to support the NAUI Green Diver Initiative and clean our waterways.
Taylor Harris -
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I have always had a deep passion for the ocean ever since I can remember. I got even more obsessed with the ocean when I was a junior in high school and took a course in marine biology. I then did whatever I could to learn more about earths last frontier. While on this journey I started to realize how easily it is to do harm to the ocean in everyday life. I then changed my ways (and some of my friends and family) to reduce harm towards the ocean. Currently I am a NAUI certified diver. I work at Hurly's We Adventures Scuba Shop and Gilldawg Restaurant & Marina located in Pasco County, Florida.
In Florida alone 35 percent of the reefs have been destroyed. Since humans are responsible for the destruction of these reefs then it is up to us to bring them back .
I am on my way to help create an artificial reef in Pasco County, Florida because there is no better way to help wildlife then to create a sustainable habitat. The other reason is to create an attractive and art inspired reef to create awareness and communicate reef issues to the general public. The bonus is that it will be a great spot for snorkeling and diving and increase tourism to Pasco County.
In Florida alone 35 percent of the reefs have been destroyed. Since humans are responsible for the destruction of these reefs then it is up to us to bring them back .
I am on my way to help create an artificial reef in Pasco County, Florida because there is no better way to help wildlife then to create a sustainable habitat. The other reason is to create an attractive and art inspired reef to create awareness and communicate reef issues to the general public. The bonus is that it will be a great spot for snorkeling and diving and increase tourism to Pasco County.