Barnacle Babes Magazine Vol 2 / No 1 Winter 2017

Join the Movement What is community? It’s a vital, important part of who we are and

who we are to become. It is a sharing of dreams, a team to pass a baton to when you get tired of the fight. It’s a collective that cries with you, champions for you, as well, wins and loses with you.

When we first started Barnacle Babes, we did so with the incorporation of our 3 C Values - Connection. Conservation. Community.

With the community part, our biggest desire is to bring together women from all over the world who share this unmistakable passion for the ocean, through sport, her health and through the healing and spiritual guidance it may have given. These women are unique, strong, intelligent, fearless, supportive, change makers! These women are WARRIORS for their beliefs, for protection, and for their rights, as human beings and women.

It’s pretty cool when you get to a stage in your life when you finally know what you want to be and do when you grow up. I want to be and am, a Warrior Mermaid Collector! I want to be surrounded by the most amazing, kick ass, passionate salty women in the world and tell their stories, all while trying to bring a collective healing to the ocean! Life is good and I am eternally grateful. We have work to do!

We want to bring together a collective and build something unique, change making, informative, actionable and far reaching. We have begun to do so. We have some amazing women already on our team, writing, contributing and out there making a difference. We’d love more! More stories, more pictures, more difference makers. More events, more beach clean ups, more education. Let us know what you’re doing. Let us see pictures of what you’ve accomplished! We would love to feature them on our website, our blog, our magazine and possibly even our web series. Help us build this community and make a difference. We’d love to hear from you!

Making waves,

Jodi Mossop

WWW.BARNACLEBABES.COM

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Protecting this Pristine Piece of Paradise Sarah Specker

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Why do we need Warrior Training Jessica Winkler

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Caring for Salty Skin Morgan C. Knowles

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Reasons to Fall in Love with Diving

Harriet Collins 19

The Women of Alaska Shaunna interviews Pam & Stacy Leask

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Goddess Rising Within Alexis Elizabeth

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Water Messages & Mermaid Photography Susan Knight

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The Olin Sisters Coming soon to the Barnacle Babes Web Series

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Finding my Inner Mermaid Shazia McCormick

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Ocean Legacy Kelli Sroka

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The Healing Properties of Water

Kim Malama Lucien 39

The Girl on the Bus to Jones Beach Kelly Martinsen

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The Collage of Salty Women Photos submitted by warrior women of the sea

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A Day in the Life of a Scientific Diver Morgan C. Knowles

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Volunteer Spotlight Amanda Moore

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The Mermaid Sisters Ruth Caldwell & Doris Dittario

Ashleigh Magill Editor-in-Chief / Graphic Designer

Jodi Mossop Assistant Editor / Content Curator

Contributor Writers and Photographers Harriet Collins, Sarah Specker, Jessica Winkler, Morgan C. Knowles, Shaunna Echo-Hawk Atkinson, Kim Malama Lucien, Lisa Michelman, Kelli Sroka, Alexis Elizabeth, Shazia McCormick, Susan Knight, Kelly Martinsen, Amanda Moore, Ruth Caldwell, Doris Dittaro, Jodi Mossop, Ashleigh Magill.

ON THE COVER Mermaid in Mexican Cenote Photo: Susan Knight www.susanknightstudios.com Mermaid: Mermaid Daniela Location: Quintana Roo, Mexico

BARNACLE BABES SUBSCRIBER inquiries Change of Address: To avoid missing copies of the magazine, please provide us with both your old and new addresses. Go online to barnaclebabes.com/service or call us at 778.338.2221 BARNACLE BABES is published 4 times a year – except for occasional combined or premium issues by Barnacle Babe Productions- #304–1140 Homer St Vancouver, BC V6B 2X6 Canada.

Contents copyright ©2017 by Barnacle Babe Productions, may not be printed without written permission. PRINTED IN CANADA & THE US Website: BarnacleBabes.com Email: Jodi@barnaclebabes.com Single copy price $8.99 CAD/USD + tax, Digital Edition: free. Full rate in Canada and the US. One year international subscription: $34.99 CAD. Digital Edition: Free.

Rates valid until December 31, 2017. Barnacle Babes receives unsolicited material (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. Barnacle Babes, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. This statement does not apply to materials/pitches submitted by freelance writers, photographers or illustrators in accordance with known industry practices. Manuscripts and other material summited must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Barnacle Babes is not responsible for unsolicited material. Vol. 2, No.1

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PROTECTING A PRISTINE PIECE OF

Paradise

As a child I had big dreams about protecting the earth and all its wonders, envisioning a trash-free world. I would clean up my street, armed with gloves and a garbage-bag, I joined the WWF-rangers and plastered my bedroom with posters of orcas and wolves instead of “Take That” (a famous British boyband from the nineties, for those of you unfamiliar with this name). Watching heroic images of Greenpeace volunteers protecting helpless humpback, whales I quickly realized athat ction was the only way for change, or better said: for preservation.

So how to put this into practice? I imagined becoming a marine biologist, where my life would consist of cuddling seals, chasing dolphins and studying fish and surf all day. In my home country though, you would more likely be studying the mating behavior of ‘boring’ fish, or processing water samples; not quite the exciting image I had in mind for my future career. That, combined with the lack of support from my family, and limited job opportunities, made me turn away.

Not so committed after all… I ventured down the path of studying medicine, only to catch myself watching countless marine orientated documentaries in my spare time, wishing I was there too. So, what does one do? My love for the ocean and the discovery of surfing made me create my current life: combining locum GP-work with lots of surf & travel. But such a path of solemn self-satisfaction seemed too empty for me.

Though trying not to sound too cheesy: I wanted to return some of the love the ocean has given me by focusing on her wellbeing instead of my own.

One of the ways to do so, is by participating in marine biology volunteer programs, and what better place to do so, than in one of the last remaining pristine pieces of paradise on earth?

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Legend has it that the four main islands in the archipelago of Raja Ampat, meaning Four Kings’ in Bahasa Indonesian language, were named after four kings that hatched from seven dragon eggs found in the woods. The remaining eggs produced a woman (who did not get her own island but was sent off in a shell to maroon at a nearby island), a ghost, and a stone.

Part of the famous coral triangle containing the richest marine biodiversity on earth, but yet as remote as it gets, makes it a diver’s mecca. And not the least because one of it’s main inhabitants: the reef manta!

Nowhere better to join in marine conservation.

And was it paradise? Oh yes, nothing less. Spending a few weeks on an island the size of 6 oversized rugby fields, fringed by amazing coral reef, where the two (and only) main streets are paved with sand and the only form of transportation is a boat, is, well… indulgence of the soul.

As with any place you travel to though, the experience ultimately is made by the people you’re with.

And did I get lucky. Volunteers from all ages and walks of life, sharing the same passion for diving and interest in conservation. The staff, relaxed, knowledgeable, committed and always in for a bit of goofing around. And the diving? Well…let’s just say: blacktip bonanzas, manta manias, turtle treasures and fish frenzies.

At this particular project, conservation efforts are done following the Reef Check Method, whereby every volunteer is trained to perform this method. It focuses on monitoring the reef ’s health by collecting strategic data in a designated area concerning fish, coral, invertebrates and general damage to the coral reef. Simple but proven to be effective, and actually super fun. Sometimes you’re even so focused on finding a sea cucumber or barramundi cod, that you almost miss the giant wobbegong shark that’s gracefully swimming past you.

In general, it teaches you to look at the world’s coral reefs through different eyes. Thankfully in this area, it meant pure joy. Unfortunately, on a world scale, this means sheer panic. Coral reefs, which are actually living beings, are dying at an alarming rate, with man being the only one having the proverbial blood on his hands.

Participating in such a project made me realize what I was looking for all along, and where to find it. And …my childhood dream was realized after all.

In case you are looking for a New Year’s resolution, and you feel like contributing, check out www.reefcheck.org for any projects near you.

Thanks for your interest so far. I wish everyone an exciting, wet and wild 2017. Just as the little mermaid taught us: “Darling it’s better, down where it’s wetter, under the sea…There ain’t no troubles, here in the bubbles, under the sea…”

Love, Sarah Sarah Specker

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thediape.com

Warrior Women of the Sea.

Warriors today take on a new meaning than they did in the past. Once used as a protection method against threats to the village, now necessary in keeping our minds lubricated and adaptable to excel in the new world.

In the late 1700s we had the industrial revolution, lasting right up to the 1950’s, then the technological revolution began, merging into a service orientated era, but now something new is on the horizon. We see an ascension into a spiritual revolution. Talk about Indigo or enlightened children, freedom of gender and many people starting to do yoga and meditation, it’s hard to ignore this change in global energy.

Are you ready?

How do we go about our daily lives and not succumb to the enormous pressures put upon us? We are expected to raise children, be attentive wives, have good careers, keep the household tidy, cook the meals, have a social life, be healthy, attractive and spiritually balanced. The pressure to be perfect is enormous and maintaining this image can leave you feeling drained or depressed.

Being a warrior is a way to refine and purify your motivations and attitudes. Lojon is a teaching of training for your mind. Originally brought to Tibet by Antisha Dipankara, an 11th century Buddhist master, shows us how to transform difficult situations or beliefs about ourselves using that energy to awaken the path of enlightenment.

Taking this instruction to heart and practicing daily you will begin to have confidence in your own intelligence and trust your actions, without this teaching this is impossible to achieve. One thing I hope to share with you is the essence of fearlessness and an open state of mind.

Personally, I’ve faced many challenges in my life that has led me to a deeper level of soul searching. These journeys have taken me to almost 40 different countries leaving my third bucket list half empty. Along the way I’ve lost touch with my soul again and again and it has been frustrating but I can assure you that in the wake left behind during these journeys the most amount of impact has been made. There are many times in my life when I’m feeling defeated and empty and i’Il walk through my day doing these things that are insignificant to me at the time, but it’s in these moments a person will tell me how I’ve made them feel inspired or motivated. I’m always surprised to hear this and it is a reminder that each moment has the ability to inspire or influence others.

This has been my driving force in being more open minded, more flexible and more of a warrior.

When I discovered the 59 warrior slogans of the Lojon I felt it articulated the daily struggles I’ve had and continue to have. The simple but effective slogans have a way of waking you up and reminding you of the power we all possess. You have the power to change in your world. You have the will and desire to fight for your life and the life of others. You are a warrior! Let me help bring it out in you.

Jessica Winkler www.JessicaWinkler.net

Be sure to check out Jessica’s Warrior Training Blog Series on BarnacleBabes.com Barnacle Babes Magazine

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Caring for

Salty SKIN

Watch for “Salty Hair�

Next Issue

Products that are KIND to the water (and your body).

Morgan C Knowles, Salty Scientist

Being a marine biologist has a lot of great perks - fun in the sun and waves, exploring the depths, chilling with incredible sealife and being a real mermaid for a living. When you're let loose from the confounds of your lab from behind a microscope, or from being elbow deep in stinky protein skimmer, being in the field has BY FAR been my favorite part of my career. However, exposure to the sun and waves isn't always the most glamorous to skin and hair. Suntanned skin and salty ocean hair with beautiful beachy waves maybe great for an Instagram pic, but the feeling of crispy fried skin as a result of sun damage with a thin veneer of salt deposits and hair so dry it feels like hay. Luckily for me I have found some ways to prevent further damage and keep my skin & locks hydrated and strong.

Here are some tips and things to think about that I learned over the years of being a salty scientist.

Being a field biologist puts a lot of strain on my skin. Cuts, bumps phantom boat bruises but there's nothing like good old sun spots and premature wrinkles am I right? Extended sun exposure is something to be extremely careful with, let alone heat exhaustion, dehydration and sun poisoning. For me, being on a boat for hours and hours at a time and diving deep repetitively makes it exhausting and hard to remember to take care of my bodies only protection against the elements. Slappin' on sunblock after peeling off a wetsuit 6 times a day isn't always the most fun or glamorous of chores but is a mandatory one.

The best sunscreen is a hat and a shirt (UV performance wear is lighter and wicks away moisture to keep you from feeling like you are wearing a wet towel). No chemicals for the skin to absorb, even better!

Unfortunately in the midst of mass production, cheap products and marketing most sunblocks now a days (Ocean Potion, No-Ad and Banana Boat) are jam packed with harmful chemical filters that can do more harm than good (70% of commercial sunblock have avobenzone and oxybenzone, both are major hormone disrupters) Oxybenzone a.k.a. benzophenone-3 is commonly used in many sunscreens has been shown to increase the rate of coral bleaching, and to cause deformities in coral larvae, making them unable to swim, settle, or form new colonies.

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The bad news doesn't end there it affects all taxa's in the marine environment, so I avoid these chemicals at all costs. Healthier sunscreens contain Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide as a more natural form of sunblock however these ingredients aren't the holy grail either.

So what I do is after every dive (or at least try) I bring extra water on the boat if I feel like I need to rinse my face and shoulders and drying my skin before applying a healthier more natural alternative sunscreen brands (Beauty Counter, Kiss My Face) that are at least 30+ SPF. There is no shame in asking a dive buddy or friend to help you get those hard to reach places between your shoulder blades either! I always cover up with a hat, sunglasses and a UV long sleeve shirt. I have found that I stopped getting ridiculous shaped sunburns and tan lines from uneven application from runny saltwater, and less dehydrated, more smooth even looking skin.

Good luck fellow salty warriors and let me know how you keep your skin and locks healthy and happy!

Morgan C Knowles @mawrgun on Intsagram and twitter

Reasons to Fall in Love with Diving The first moment that I descended under the water I knew that I would forever be addicted. Even though there were so many hesitations about exploring the underwater world, the undeniable magic made me fall in love, and here are some of the reasons why.

The Silence and Serenity Once you start the descent underwater, all noise disappears and a sudden calmness rushes over you.

You are free. All your worries disappear, and nothing else matters except for the bright, brilliant colours that surround you.

Weightlessness and becoming an Underwater Gymnast The cumbersome and heavy equipment that you wear above the water feels like nothing below the surface, and moving in three dimensions is out of this world.

The somersaults that you could never master in gym class become a reality and suddenly you feel very accomplished.

The world becomes 70% bigger Water covers two-thirds of the earth’s surface, so when you learn to scuba dive, your entire world opens up. No longer are you confined to land exploration; you can now explore all of what the earth has to offer.

Every dive is different, even if you dive the same site over and over There is something comforting in diving a familiar site. You know the site well so there is no need to rely on your compass, but you also know the best coral heads to find life. Even when you dive the same site day after day, you know you will see different things because the ocean is alive and fish are always on the move. What’s around the corner will always be a mystery.

New discoveries to be made Most of the ocean is yet to be explored, meaning that divers can make brand new discoveries at any moment! The though that you could potentially find a piece of hidden history just makes the love for diving even stronger.

Build Confidence in Yourself Trusting your abilities to dive into the unknown and know that if anything happens you can handle it means that you have faith in yourself. Trusting our own abilities is something we question all too often, but diving builds confidence with each descent underwater.

This trust and faith in one’s self transfers to every day life. If you can breathe underwater, there isn’t much else you can’t do.

Harriet Collins

www.scuba-girl.com

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The Women of

ALASKA

Shaunna Echo-Hawk Atkinson takes us on a journey into her world and the unique stories of The Women of Alaska.

I would like to tell you about the women in Alaska who also grew up on the water. Their stories tell the real way of our daily lives fishing and harvesting the sea as our ancestors did and not the insincere Alaska reality shows which depict a woman fishing off a boat and tossing a couple of fish in the hatch while the male crew members did all the hard work. I am sharing stories about the women who captain a boat, women who can pick fish off nets faster than you can blink and even women fishing for their living while pregnant to make ends meet. This is our way of life. We have been blessed with the knowledge passed down to us by our father, brothers, uncles and fellow fishermen who didn’t care that we were women, They taught us everything we needed to know to be successful. I am going to introduce you into our world of hard-working women I have had the privilege to grow up with and passed each other on the fishing grounds over the years. Let me introduce you these incredible sisters who works as hard as any male fisherman and can park a 40-ft gillnetter like nobody’s business.

Pam & Stacy Leask

Tsimshian Nation, Annette Island Indian Reserve Metlakatla, Alaska Pam and Stacy Leask are sisters who grew up on Annette Island in southeast Alaska. They have two brothers, Eric and Brandon, who were also fish our territorial waters which surrounds our Reserve.

Their wonderful parents are Charles Leask Jr., and Joyce Hudson Leask. Along with the year around fishing seasons, their family owns the local hardware store in Metlakatla, Ace Hardware and now Metco. The following is a recent interview of Pam and Stacy Leask fishing and diving lifestyle and careers.

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Tell us about fishing around our Island.

How old were you when you began fishing our territorial waters?

Stacy:

I was 9 years old when I first went herring fishing. My dad had the fishing vessel, the “Pamela K”, a 40-foot gillnetter. I would always get sea sick and I spent a lot of my sea time puking. But that didn’t matter, I had a job to do so I forced myself to fish, no matter how sick I was but I was miserably sea sick. I started to taking the boat out when my sister got pregnant and my dad brike his back so I had to learn how to park and anchor a boat on my own and it was so stressful but now I got it down. I went through a few crewmember too. I would rather fish with my sister then any other fishermen and we can do the same work

Pam: I was ten years old when dad took me herring

fishing on the fishing vessel “Glory:” Dad took turns with the four of us herring fishing around the island.

Dad was brilliant. He taught us everything we needed to know right away. He always said “be safe.

Know where each other is,” We were taught to look after each other. There was always something to do on the boat. Once the bracket on the drum broke so dad put electrical tape on it. Electrical tape works for everything, It worked and we kept fishing” The more he wrapped me cement and we were like its not going to woke dad!

Stacy:

I remember once the boat broke down so dad put Bandon and me in a dinghy and made us row and tow the” Pamela K” away from the rocks which allowed him time to fix the boat otherwise the boat would have hit the rocks. We just had to clear the point. Our mom was supportive of our young fishing lifestyle. She managed my fishing money and would give it out to me when I had high school basketball trips so I always had money when I traveled off the Island. Mom also called us on the CB radio, constantly to check up on us, she never stopped. She was always just being a worried wonderful mother.

Pam:

We stayed out on the fishing grounds. Dad was a backside of the island fisherman – Canoe Cove, Tamgass, the entire Island. He taught us how to fish the entire Island. We fished herring, salmon and went crabbing.

We stayed out at the fishing grounds, we did not come in at night. If we were on a different boat, we would call each other on the CB.

Stacy: I fell off the boat a couple

of times. I screamed my head off in the water. Once I fell off the boat into the sea and I was yelling. Brandon was on another boat nearby. He shined a spotlight on me and said, “Stacy, knock it off and just swim to the boat!” So, I stopped yelling and just swam to the boat and climbed back on it.

Pam: I started taking the boat

out when I was about 18 years old and still do to this day. I took out Eric’s boat which was the “Rebel Spirit”. I first took out my friends as crew members. Eric was nervous but they all taught me well. My dad and Eric taught me everything I needed to know.

I was always comfortable running the boat. Eric taught us just as much as our dad did but Eric was more hard on us than dad ever was. back in the sea. We were all fast pickers and my brothers and sister and I are all high-energy individuals. We always had fun together.

Stacy: We fished with other

captains on different boats depending on the fishing season. When Pam took the boat out she was very calm.

She made a great captain.

She always wanted me to learn. When you take the boat out alone, you learned about the kelp, wind and the rhythm of the sea. Plus, we were fast in our fishing duties and we always raced one another. Pammy was pregnant during one season but she ran the boat through-out her entire pregnancy. She ate potato chips during her pregnancy. You could hear her potato chips crunching throughout the long nights. We even brought the baby out on the boat at three months old. We fished with the baby all summer long. We made a bunk for her. One would be holding her while the other one would be picking the fish out of the net.

Now our dad is retired and with the knowledge that was passed onto us we fish the Pamela K. We are both mothers now and we each have three children and balance motherhood, working our land jobs and fishing the boat during salmon season.

It’s a way of life.

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Goddess Rising Within “Clothed with the sun, the moon beneath her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.“ Revelation 12:1 The journey of the modern new age goddess embodies both feminine and masculine energies. Clothed with sunshine she dares to journey out to long since uncharted waters, her soul yearning for expansion and knowledge. Her heart fierce with love, eyes full of hope, she stands in her power. Once again resurrected, a golden solar disc, brilliant with self love, respect and integrity. The lioness warrior spirit, heart wide open. She reaches her hands up to the sky as she walks alone, freedom, the wind under her mane. Fire in her swollen belly, ready for the birth of a new dawn. The 12 shining stars crown her in all her glory to lead the way with unwavering faith. The powerful one, she relinquishes her foothold and her inner dragon of fire swirls rising up from root to sky. Her light, now a body of higher consciousness and a divine channel of wisdom. She experiences alignment, grounding and higher purpose once again.

A great wounded healer, she sets foot on the moon and feels the ocean water rise between her toes. The sands of time are her measurement. The moon waxes and wanes and so do the magnetic rhythms of the tides that flow in and out, revealing her feelings, passions, strengths, clarity and increasing level of discernment.

Intensity rises within her soul as the divine energy of the sea reveals her inner most truth and authenticity of self. Deepest desires rise from the ocean to override, clear and purify surface facades and unbalanced energetic relationships. As each cycle begins and ends, full to new to full again, over and over, she is challenged to look beneath her surface - deeper and deeper into the water.

A new wave of life is being born and the goddess rises from the sea. All life was born and came from the sea; pouring out water to everyone to heal, nurture, grow and expand love. One of the most discussed experiences throughout this journey is described as transition. Transition is that space between two journey’s. Some may describe it as the end of one big chapter and the beginning of another.

During this major transition into the next cycle, the goddess rising may feel lost, unfocused, and less intuitively connected.

This is completely normal during transition as we are growing, pushing past old limiting beliefs, adopting new perspectives, reframing current ones, and recalibrating our entire being into a new existence and a conscious way of living. It can feel scary, stressful, and chaotic at best. “Chaos always precedes great transformation” (Elizabeth Gilbert). The lesson is to trust the process and surrender. Stand in your power, in the sense of embracing the experience as organic. As ever changing, growing and creating movement forward. Honor your divinity in each and every moment. Even in the less than stellar moments, love yourself over and over again because we are doing the best that we know how.

Step into your greatness, know your brilliance and transform! Dance on the wind to your home at the ocean’s edge. Breathe in the love from our ocean, earth mother, our home, sanctuary, and safe place. She holds all the knowledge of the universe, of all beings for all of time. Sit quietly and absorb the ion-filled air, raise your vibration, and clear away the layers of old self that no longer serve your highest and best good. Envelope any heavy energies in love and compassion and set them free! Watch as your goddess rises like a white warrior phoenix from her ashes. She will carry you across the bridge of transition and answer your thirst for knowledge. The goddess you see is you and me.

She is the ocean sea, all above and below. She is the sun, moon, stars, sky, earth, and fire. She is love and she in turn loves you.

Alexis Elizabeth

www.instagram.com/priestess_alexis

A journey of freedom and passion, with a holistic approach to self discovery and confidence building.

A sailing adventure for women!

Global Adventurer and Lifestyle coach, Captain Valma Brenton, invites to you an exotic tropical sailing destination and a unique life adventure. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced sailor, discover the holistic HERIZEN™ approach.

www.HERIZENLIFEADVENTURES.com

Water

Messages

There is water without life, but nowhere on earth is there life without water. I can’t remember when I first heard this but it continues to fascinate me.

Generally, life and nature seem magical to me, therefore, I may have surmised that water must also be magical.

Through a life attracted to water, especially the ocean and the study of her creatures, I’ve noticed that if one slows down and truly pays attention, there is much to be learned. I find myself instilled with a desire to conceive magical ocean images and share an awe of the natural world with others.

The act of snapping a shutter button is the capturing of a moment in time. The resulting image stands still for you to study, ponder and feel. Photography in general can be a tool for being truly present. Being under water taking photographs is a whole new affair.

Breaking the surface of the water, one is enfolded in another world. Being underneath and looking up, one notices the surface is actually a mirror. A reflection true to what is below, however, movement and waves distort reflections. Like the observing of imagery in clouds, one can see many things in these reflections. I believe there are messages for us here.

Prior to a photoshoot once, I was having a conversation with the subject of the shoot. It was when I lived in Hawaii. We had shot together before for some advertising in a local surf magazine. This was just for fun. Clear sparkling ocean, gentle waves and sunny sunny sunny. One of my favorite day in the office type of days.

She was expressing how she had been asking lots of questions lately about her mixed race ancestry and wondering about a Korean influence to which she felt little connection.

She often wondered if those ancestors were with her or influenced her in ways she may not be aware. She was in a time of spiritual quest defining who she is as a person.

Once in the water, we positioned ourselves so as to ensure the reflections at the surface would be captured and began to shoot. Afterwards, we sat down to go through the images.

In one of the shots, standing directly above her shoulder in a wavy reflection, was the image of a tiny Korean man in a traditional hat. We looked at each other and then back at the image. We zoomed in, zoomed out, stood back from the screen and then laughed. It was as if her question had been answered. She was not alone. Her ancestors are with her. She suddenly experienced a strong feeling of connection.

Whether anyone else saw it or not is of no consequence. The message was for her and gave her great peace of mind.

These experiences continue to inspire me to shoot under water. It is as much about helping people connect with themselves, with water, participate in self expression, and have fun as the actual product. It challenges and sparks my creative urge. It keeps me dreaming of epic under water shoots and looking for messages.

May you find peace and fullness of heart in your water connection.

Susan

Connect with Nature.

Find the Stillness.

Sea Yourself. www.susanknightstudios.com I would like to dedicate this article to my high school Biology teacher Mz Kist for instilling in me an awe of nature.

Also, for being a Woman in Science.

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Coming soon to our YouTube web series!

Barnacle Babes interviews young surfing sisters, Mathea and Sanoa Olin and chat a little with their mother, Dion as well, about the girl’s connection to the ocean and what it means to live and train the unique surfing town of Tofino, British Columbia Canada. A place that finds so many amazing strong surfing women and how this town continues to encourage and support the girls in their dreams.

Truly, a young female surfer’s greatest asset! Make sure to subscribe to Barnacle Babes YouTube Channel to be notified whenever a new episode is uploaded. Subscribe HERE:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCoZT1VytUf3dQaprvz8uEUw

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Finding my inner mermaid Mermaid. Siren. Surfista. None of these are ways in which I thought of myself many years ago. It is said that our life happens by accident, on purpose. And such, the road we travel can be thoughtful, yet unpredictable. Finding happens over time and experiences.

Growing up I had an inner battle raging. I have a disease called alopecia.

It’s an auto‐immune disorder where one’s body fights their hair. From the time I was a child, what started as patches of hair loss, grew to be eyebrows, arm hair, and finally, in my 30’s, everything. As a woman, it’s amazing that the loss of the thing that makes us feel feminine can have a profound effect. I hid, battled, raged against this thing that is me. Human hair wigs, custom shaped wig caps, tattooed eyebrows, and the list goes on. Through this inner battle, I continued, I built my life. Always avoiding the mirror at home because that bald head wasn’t really me.

So life continues along, and I do love life. I have always been an adventurer – travel, a new place, a new face. In the early 2010’s I found myself in Nicaragua and tried surfing for the first time. I had never really considered surfing, or the water, as something I needed in my life. I was a runner, used to the pounding of the earth. I took my first wave and I fell in love. It sounds contrived, but I promise it’s not. And it’s not like it was an epic wave. It was a messy, whitewater mess, with my butt sticking out; the brand‐new‐surfer stance. It didn’t matter – I had found home.

After that first messy wave in Nicaragua, my vacation quest was always for waves. But how can you build the capability if it’s just a few times each year? I live in Toronto, Canada – no coast here. I compensated by buying a SUP. I felt triumphant driving it home in the snow (it was a December purchase) thinking that no one would ever use a SUP in winter. And there it sat until spring. I was lucky enough to meet an amazing community of women who SUP … and SUP surf. And all of a sudden a whole world opened to me. Surfing. On the Great Lakes. And not only that, surf season is in the winter, when there is bigger wind‐swell. Never did I think I would join the foolhardy ranks of those out in February snowstorms chasing lake waves. Iced selfies, here I come!

Around this same my life was going through massive change and finding a home in the water came at a perfect time. As I threw myself into the sport, I became a new me. A me that craved the water. Craved the community of mermaids.

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And slowly I became ok with that bald‐headed me. I undertook a project to tattoo my whole head with the flowers of my life and places I’ve lived. My floral history. Embracing my canvas. I continue to grow myself in the women’s surf community and started an online community for lake surf women to learn from each other.

Along with that I help with forecasting workshops and an annual gathering of surf and SUP ladies on the lakes.

And the cycle of things happening by accident, on purpose, continues. A year after starting the head tattoo project I met a fellow surfista who is a tattoo artist. Last year we completed the final step of my piece as an ode to the renewal of water in my journey. Waves around a water lily. Though not a physical place of geography, a definitive moment in my journey. Mermaid. Siren. Scorpio. Surfista. I wear these names (and my bald head) proudly.

Shazia McCormick Find Shazia on Instagram and Twitter as @cybershaz ‐ If you live near the lower Great Lakes in Canada or the USA, please reach out and we’ll connect you with the Lake Surfistas community.

Planet Love Life is more than a brand, its a state of mind!

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100% SALVAGED MARINE ROPE

Ocean

Legacy Kelli Sroka

making waves in ocean conservation practices

The North Pacific Garbage patch, an area twice the size of Texas. This is where

ocean debris converges, constantly moved by current, and weather, it floats roughly in the space between California and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. This is essentially a giant pile of miscellaneous debris, primarily non-biodegradable plastics. An eye sore, yet that is the least of our concern. This is a direct threat to critical habitat, species survival and human health. If not dealt with in an effective manor, has quite devastating repercussions on the ecosystems of our planet.

The truth about plastic? And how is so much of it ending up in our oceans in the first place?

I’ve heard many people attribute the problem to Fukishima, which has had an impact, but is only a small portion of the underlying issue.

Land-based human dispersal accounts for 80 percent of the ocean plastic pollution, globally. Over five trillion individual pieces of plastic are estimated to be floating throughout five areas, called gyres, where they concentrate due to oceanic currents. Small weathered micro-plastic bits are now found within the digestive systems of sea life, birds, and mammals globally. More than a million seabirds and over 100,000 marine mammals die every year from plastic. Over 220 million tons of plastic are produced each year. We must choose to reduce our need. Plastics are serving a needed function, yet appropriate disposal is often not addressed.

One of the primary reasons why the North Pacific Garbage Patch is such a challenge (to clean?) is because the location is so remote; it is not easily accessible for most parties wanting to make an effort to clean up. Obviously, this is a massive project that requires a lot of money and human power to fully amend.

Thankfully, there are organizations out there, such as Ocean Legacy, who are working hard to find solutions to these types of issues.

In 2014, Chloe Dubois and her partner James Middleton cofounded the Ocean Legacy Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to clean up the world’s Oceans.

Together, they focus on eliminating plastic pollution by creating integrative education and technologies to produce an economic incentive to clean up the natural environment. Since their formalization, they have assisted in removing over 40 metric tonnes of plastic pollution along the coastlines of Vancouver Island, have purchased their first plastic to fuel machine, have over 200 plastic pollution hotspots recorded and have co-written a community action handbook to spread globally. Members have worked in Mexico, Alaska, Canada, California and the across the North Pacific Ocean.

Mermaids. The fierce females of the sea.

These mystical beings, through my particular lens, represent the connection between humanity and the spirit of the ocean. These guardians intuitively follow a righteous, inspiring, and liberating path that encourages the evolutionary mindset of others who encounter their wake. Once in a while, you cross paths with one of these divine creatures, a real life mermaid, and when you do, it changes your life forever.

Mermaids are mythical creatures of the sea, warrior woman with an enchanting and mysterious demeanor. Endearing. Wild yet aware.

Connected yet free. We are told our whole lives that they do not exist, that these creatures are fragments of our imagination, but define real? Some of us can feel it. We know they are out there.

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Throughout my life, amongst my travels, I have encountered many brave, beautiful, inspiring, strong, resilient women. And all of my interactions with such creatures have led me to develop a type of understanding about what the depth of being a woman really encompasses. It can take a woman her entire life to explore her own power, and when I cross paths with a fierce female on fire, doing her thing with such a strong sense of self and a burning passion for what she believes in, there is no stopping her from accomplishing whatever it is she longs for.

This is how I felt the day I met Chloe Dubois, a strong and intelligent soul, and the Executive Director of the Ocean Legacy Foundation. We were both attending a climate change conference, where she shared a bit of her story on some of the recent projects her organization was pursuing.

In a room filled with conversation compiled around the darkness of climate change, Chloe was a white light offering solutions, support, and optimism. I felt deeply compelled by the work that this woman spoke of.

I sat down with Chloe a few weeks later to dive deeper into exactly what it is she is doing in greater detail.

Chloe writes grants, completes most administration, writes detailed reports, has developed an in-field sorting strategy for debris, and has developed a detailed after-life upcycle strategy for the debris collected from clean-ups. In 2016, she co-organized the 14-day Upcycle Challenge engaging hundreds of youth and community partners, upcycling and repurposing almost 20 tonnes of debris. She has many new collaborative projects on the go including clean-ups in Costa Rica, a large scale mobile plastic to fuel unit and a youth art program with Michelle Loughery Art. As Vancouver, British Columbia, holds a dear place in my heart, I was extremely moved by the work Ocean Legacy has been doing off the shores of Vancouver Island. I had been traveling all over the island in my van for the past few years, picking mushrooms, participating in ocean clean ups, and exploring the rugged and pristine coastline, the trails, the endless beaches and forests. I had to admit, that after all my travels, this was one the most beautiful terrains with such deep spirit I had encountered, washing away my inhibitions and holding me captive for periods much longer than intended.

Yuquot, BC

Yet, even in the most remote bays, I was still finding plastic washing up on shore, garbage abandoned in old growth forests, dead sea creatures decaying in piles along the Westcoast.

As Chloe shared with me that the organization had targeted the Northwest region of Vancouver Island as a Hotspot to clean up, my heart filled with gratitude. They took two teams out for several weeks, and were able to collect about 20 tonnes of waste. The non-profit received part of the remaining Tsunami Debris grant given by the generous people of Japan, which allowed them to take out 2 teams of 17 volunteers. Volunteers were fed and sheltered while they worked, in often challenging conditions to clean up debris. They loaded up a big barge filled with miscellaneous debris and driftage which was brought back to Captain’s Cove Marina in Ladner. They began sorting some of the debris that was collected in separate load with the Vancouver Island Marine Debris Working Group over a weekend. They then collected as much material from this event as they could to avoid it going to landfill.

This material was added to the load they collected with community partners over the summer in a warehouse that was donated in South Vancouver by Lush Cosmetics. The concept is to divert this material from landfills entirely, meaning that everything gets recycled, repurposed, and upcycled. Chloe thought it would be strategic to integrate our local youth into this practice and partnered with BC Field Trips, engaging over 200 youth in sorting materials and educating about landfill alternatives. The outcome was truly a success, as a very small fraction of material ended up going to the dump, and the children received beautiful hands on experience in the process.

Continued Page 50

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The Healing Properties

Of Water

Kim Malama Lucien Have you notice that sense of peace and ease that you feel in your mind and body when you are in or near water? It’s kind of like coming home in a way, your body relaxes, your blood pressure goes down and you feel more peaceful. Our bodies are over 60% water so to feel that peace and ease and coming home isn’t really surprising. It’s also not surprising then that water of all kinds have almost magical abilities to contribute to and heal us. There have been plenty of scientific tests showing the ways that water molecules change based on consciousness and intent and many other things.

I know you are familiar with that feeling even if you don’t think you are and with more consciousness on its effects you can significantly increase your awareness of those capacities and use them yourself!

Early on it was something I wasn’t overly aware of but as I spent more time with large, natural bodies of water and as I become more spiritually aware and connected with my being and my body my capacities with water and awareness of what water can do began to exponentialize.o it. Still unsure you’ve ever experienced what I’m talking about. Recall, or imagine, how you feel, how you breathe as you are getting nearer the beach, the air feels different, it smells different and your body is starting to feel different.

This is you and your body connecting with the water. Scientifically you are aware of the change in the negative ions and oxygen levels that are different in water.

So how do you begin to harness the healing properties of water? It’s easy and anyone can do it.

First, acknowledge that you are aware of the way water makes you feel. Acknowledgement is the first step to expanding your abilities and awareness with something. The more you acknowledge the more it will show up for you.

Next, take a deep breath in, a really deep one, all the way down into your diaphragm, fill your lungs and expand your chest, as you do this ask the water in the air you are breathing to refresh, recharge, relax and revitalize you.

Taking this to the next level do it when you are in the water, as the water surrounds you and caresses your body, connect with it, be with it, ask it to contribute to all the cells in your body and being. Yes, it’s as simple as that.

All you have to do is ask. Ask and you shall receive, one of the natural laws of the universe.

Then be aware of how and what you feel, sense and perceive. Lastly, be grateful for the energy you received from the water. Acknowledgement and Gratitude are two keys to exponentializing your capacities with this.

Do those steps every time you go to the water and it will not only get easier and easier, you’ll begin to do it without thinking AND it will be more and more effective for you. And here’s a secret no one tells you, it works with ANY water! It doesn’t have to be when you are out in the ocean, or in the lake, it works with the water in your shower and bathtub as well!

So try this every time you get in the shower for a week. See how different you feel at the end of that week!

Be Well, Kim. www.kimmalamalucien.com

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THE

girl

ON THE BUS To Jones Beach

“I must be a mermaid...

I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living” - Anais Nin

Me and my daughter heading out on an October dusk in Long Beach.

My desperate yearning to be a mermaid (a badass one no Little Mermaid shit for me) started when at ten years old when I would hop a crowded bus headed for Jones Beach’s Field Four to spend hours frolicking in the ocean. The days end alwayscame too soon as my waterlogged, self watched a glorious sun sink behind the horizon reminding me of the fact that if I missed the last bus home, it would mean an 8 mile walk.

Years pass and people change and by the time I entered my forties, I was a woman who lived just one block from the beach, was married to a surfer with two toe headed surf rats for children. And I was also a woman who had a developed a serious fear of the ocean.

I racked my brain trying to remember when it happened, as I stood safely on the shore watching my family play in the waves. It was with a certain amount of resentment and anger that I would think “what the fuck Kelly, who are you?”

Around the same time I was feeling critically disgusted with my lack of courage I was also laid off from a job I had been at for 15 years. I was forty years old, no job, plenty of time on my hands and a strong realization that I had lost Dzmedz. I knew where to find me.

With fear gripping me and my heart racing, I grabbed a 12 foot paddle board from my husbands quiver and started paddle boarding. I would paddle for hours past the break towards the horizon and do yoga on the ocean andcontemplate who I was. At the end of each session, I would ride a little wave back to the shore. While it was the scariest part of the day riding the little wave back in to shore, it was with a unique self-awareness that I discovered, that it was also myfavorite part of paddle boarding.

I kept thinking “this is who I am, this ride-this risk”. With the help of some super cool surfers in the line up including my rad wave charging husband I road my first real wave and from there I was hooked. I began paddle surfing bigger and bigger waves (big waves I have found is a relative term) on smaller and smaller boards. I tackled head high waves with abandon sticking my paddle in the face to better arch towards the peak. In between waves I was grateful for my paddle, which I used to clean the ocean. Spotting plastic bags I would tie them to my paddle and bring them to a garbage pail on the shore at the end of a surf session.

The funny thing is that with each wave I road I found something just as important as a plastic bag. I found a little piece of the girl on the bus. In the mist of growing up, climbing the corporate ladder (yes the one I ultimately fell off), navigating a husbands cancer diagnosis and subsequent liver transplant and then loving and raising two amazing children some how that girl on the bus got lost.

Fast forward many years and I am now closer to fifty then forty and I charge waves with abandon, I left the corporate world and publish a small magazine focused on health, wellness and conservation and spend tons of quality time in the water with my family. I credit the sea for helping me find Dzthe girl on the busdz and it is now my life mission to help other women do the same.

Kelly Martinsen www.nalimag.com Barnacle Babes Magazine

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Salty Warrio� The

Collage

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who are they?

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Marla, Nicole and Shannon out for the winter sailing adventure of Geminis Dream. The team is gelling! We are in Vancouver Canada and just motoring from the Strait of Georgia up the Fraser River to Milltown marina.

Jessie with a 48-inch dorado. My partner and I are just finishing a 2-year voyage on our sailboat from Seattle to Panama to Easter Island and across the South Pacific. We are now in Australia and will be setting up shop in Melbourne and going to work for a few years. We'll be continuing to live aboard our sailboat, though!

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Shakedown cruise, San Diego to San Francisco.

Morning watch, time of my life, somewhere off the coast of Big Sur. Debra

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Cheryl. New Orleans, LA on our 1987 Catalina 30.

Our blog is www.mid-lifecruising.com

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Mchia Dew in the situbondo-east Java Sea, Indonesia . I found a lot of plastic garbages on the sea floor, it really breaks my heart. That's why everytime i dive, i always bring my netbag to put the garbage i find underwater.

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Shazia McCormick being her awesome self!

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Martin County FL., chillin with my spiny lobster friend doing science and stuff. Morgan C. Knowles

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Stephanie H. Burgess, MBA, CSP. I sailed my Sabre 28-2 to Toronto twice this summer with the first time crossing Lake Ontario.

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Leanne Hembrow (Yoga4yachties) travelling onboard our boat & sailing ports of the world sharing yoga along the way. Crossing the equator onboard our previous boat Red Sky ...King Neptune ritual! (21 day passage Galapagos to Marquesas)

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Tiffany, Chesapeake Bay.

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I wanted to share a trip I took in Feb 2015 with my friend Leann (in the pink) on my sailboat named Coconut up to Drakes Bay, California. Rachel Belle

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Nicole Chambers (saltLI. com), Long Beach

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race2rebuild, Amanda Moore cleaning the beach with Ryder

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Megan Hillman, Barnacle Babe

Life

A Day in the

of a

Scientific Diver

At 96 feet below, the distant flickering of sunlight penetrating the sea surface feels so far from reach. I am feeling the weight of the incredibly immense amount of water above me. Surprisingly, it is a toasty 84 degrees on the bottom and I am feeling a pinch of mental discomfort from my enriched air nitrox mix (34% oxygen). At this point, my bottom time is pushing the dive tables and I now have limited time to finish my data sheet. With an a near complete data sheet (including every fish, coral, sponge, algae species around me), I am forcing my mind to focus on simple math skills while this O2 mix is fogging my brain in a mildly numb stupor. I am trying my hardest to finish totaling my percent benthic coverage and not bonding with this curious sea turtle who decided to join me on my last few.

Scrambling to finish before my computer alerts me that I NEED to surface; I collect myself, kick to my buddy and give the thumbs up signal to get out of there. This is what an average last dive of the day is like as a scientific research diver.

I am an ichthyological (fish) and benthic (seafloor) research assistant working for Nova Southeastern University’s Graduate Oceanographic Center. Our “Fish Lab” is a part of a multi-agency, cooperative project called the South Florida’s Reef Fish Visual Census. My job is to essentially asses the local fish populations up and down S. Florida’s coastline which directly reflects what local seafood you see on the menu, or the size classifications for Florida’s fishing regulations.

How, you may ask? Well, things on the surface look different from below.

Fish are wonderful to watch cruising, darting around but some may choose to sit and watch you, “Hey red grouper I am talking to you!”. Just watching fish doing...fish stuff is easy, but identifying, measuring and counting extremely mobile fish is a whole other category of complicated. The fast-paced city life of a reef is like this. Imagine, you’re at about 60ft down on a distractingly beautiful sight of colorful fish and 15 minutes to survey. There are about 34 blue headed wrasse, 127 bicolor damselfish, a huge barracuda, 1 hogfish and about 250 pork fish that just swam through your survey area, great. :::sigh:::

Then you say to yourself, “Those round-eye scad are moving real fast above me. I wonder where they’re going, wait, what are they swimming away from... But somethings different this year. The corals are bleached an diseased and there is a TON of macroalgae. I haven’t seen many sharks (indicators of healthy thriving reefs), or even many sea turtles, what gives? “ The continuous deterioration of ecological/geologic function of the coral reef ecosystems in the western Atlantic is an irreplaceable loss. Decline started in the late 1970s & 1980s has been primarily due to Anthropogenic stressors (like ocean acidification, overfishing, pollution, and sedimentation). Officially as of January 2017, last year was confirmed the hottest year (in over 137 years) and within my graduate school career, I watch virtually an entire ecosystem shift from life, to near death (especially the past two years).

WHAT! Doing this research has not only been the most physically/mentally demanding (and dangerous) job of my life; it is eye opening and an absolutely rewarding experience. This is the most aware of the threats to our oceans and our planets health I have ever been in my life and I plan to do something about it. But, is there a future for our coral and fishy friends? Yes. If we can protect their homes and encourage safe, smart, ocean minded practices we may be able to turn it around before it’s too late. The next few years are going to be challenging for us scientists and environmentalists and ocean lovers alike but with passion, hope, and little hard work we CAN make a difference. Promote ocean conservation, educate yourself on local habitats and regulations because more now than ever we need your help. Stay curious, use your voice, and live with a purpose.

Morgan C. Knowles Email me at Morgan.C.Knowles@gmail.com with any questions or Follow me on Instagram and Twitter

@mawrgun

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Volunteer Spotlight The vibrant East Village was the unforgettable

backdrop of my early 20’s where I found myself searching for my soul’s purpose and stumbling upon a career in Interior Design. Forming my own business in 2001, just weeks after 9-11, I knew I wanted to create something with meaning in an otherwise shallow industry. I decided to incorporate a deep environmental commitment into my business and this choice lay the foundation of my journey as an environmentalist. A few years later, I became a single mother and that really drove the message home: now I had a part in creating the next generation so I felt I had to step up my efforts to protects its resources. My design work eventually brought me to a beach town right outside the city where everything finally made sense. While I had loved city life as a younger woman, the mother and environmentalist in me needed to escape so I set my sights on making that same beach town my home. My love for the beach had been lifelong, always aware that my soul was more at ease as soon as I could smell the salty air, but living at the ocean cracked me wide open with devotion. As a parttime environmentalist, I knew that the planet was in trouble, but seeing the everyday effects of the marine pollution we have caused was heartbreaking and I set out to do something. I targeted plastic pollution as my main cause and began volunteering for the Surfrider Foundation, igniting a local Rise Above Plastics campaign and I now sit on the Executive Board of the Eastern Long Island Chapter. Tired of pulling single-use plastic bags out of the shoreline, I spearheaded a successful bag ordinance campaign with other local environmentalists which we hope to bring to County and State level. I make it my mission to care for the ocean every single day, whether it’s by choosing ocean-friendly purchases, coaching my clients on how to live more sustainably, making less trash, or picking up litter from the sand, I believe that if everyone used their work and free time to do just one thing every single day, the fate of our oceans could be positively reserved.

Amanda Moore Barnacle Babes Magazine

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Mermaid Sisters Ruth and Doris, The Mermaid Sisters, two young girls who were raised on the water with their brother Jim, while their Swedish parents built their cabin on Rainy Lake (Ontario, Canada).

Learning to swim from Whale Rock, teaching each other to dive and pretending to be mermaids, visiting Mermaid Rock often for inspiration! Day after day, picking blueberries, fishing, working hard and enjoying life as it’s meant to be lived; on Nowhere Island. A place that one could take for granted if you didn’t appreciate the waves and the storms, the serenity, the magic and family.

Generations of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren have felt it’s magic, learned to fish and swim here, and to do their part in maintaining its beauty. The Pearson family: warriors of the water, with a deep connection and love for our earth and each other. I should know, I’m the grandchild of Ruth Caldwell herself, great grandchild of Hilma and Pete Pearson, who built our family cabin by hand during some of the most epic conditions imaginable.

Doris and Ruth at the cabin

My mother, Karen, helped me write this article and shared a moment she had as a child when complaining of being tired to grandma Hilma, “No” Hilma said, “you’re never tired, you’ve just got to rest. Don’t complain.” These words spoke so true to me as I dragged my tired feet to the computer to finish this magazine. Looking through the photos my mom sent, of Hilma and Pete dragging giant logs up the hill, I can feel the inner strength, drive and power that is within me - within us all. We are all warriors.

Just when we think we are too tired, we’ve had enough, we can’t go on, something sparks inside and says “No. You can do this!”.

I imagine this is something that Ruth and Doris have felt often in their lives, continuing to share their gifts of kindness, compassion, strength and that special sparkle through times of incredible loss, exhaustion and trauma. I can’t say enough how proud and grateful I am to call these women, and my Uncle Jim, family. I’ve never met more selfless and special people in all my life.

Hilma and Pete, hauling logs up to the cabin site.

Irene, Pete and Hilma standing in front of the finished cabin.

Paintings by Doris Dittaro I see their light shine down the line through the rest of our family as well; aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, neices and nephews. We’ve all been blessed by the history and beauty of our family cabin, the light from our elders, and the magic of being warrior mermaids together.

Ruth was recently honored as Citizen of the Year in their hometown of Fort Frances for her lifetime of volunteering in the community. From an early age as a Sunday School Teacher, into a 21-year career in the public library as head of the children’s department, where she brought so much life to the stories. She continues to read to seniors, children and toddlers at various places in the community and offers her services as a caregiver so moms can participate in library services. She is part of numerous boards and community programs and, in her spare time, she knits hats for newborns, writes poetry, delivers “Meals on Wheels”, and provides rides to her senior friends. She was featured in Pharmasave’s Living Well as their “Remarkable Woman” years ago, and won Volunteer of the Year in 2005. Swimming has remained a very big part of her life and, at 85, she has no plans to retire. She reads every week to her close friend, Frances, who is 103 today.

THE MERMAID

By Ruth Caldwell

From her granite throne she rules Without a smile upon her face, No magnificent robes or costly jewels, Still she shows such style and grace.

Can she see the distant shores,

Doris brings incredible colour and heart into peoples’ lives and their homes through her paintings. Her watercolour “Home from the Rink” was selected by the 2015 Canada Winter Games to be featured in VIP gifting cards, creating a legacy for her family and a beautiful memento for guests.

The lofty pines and snow white birtch?

Let’s not forget their brother, my great uncle Jim Pearson, the 25-year navy veteran who taught me how to fly fish in the river and who was recently featured in Westshore Magazine for his hard work as a volunteer at the Goldstream Fish Hatchery. I’m blown away by the selfless amount of work these volunteers endure to maintain, clean and operate the entire program; releasing 500,000 to 700,000 salmon into the wild every year. Without them, the local salmon runs just wouldn’t sustain themselves.

Reclining on her Rainy Lake home.

I want to say thank you to every one of these bright lights, your efforts matter and your hearts are helping to heal the world. Never give up.

Ashleigh Magill

Does the cry of loon and seagulls soar Turn her head and eyes give search?

This regal siren does not sing No matter what the weather may bring She’s always there, she does not roam.

The Mermaid of Rainy Lake. Located in the middle of Rainy Lake, Ontario (Canada) and adored by many. She was constructed in the 1930s out of steel rods, old boat propellers, and cement.

Above: Ruth Caldwell (right) with her sister Doris Dittaro and brother Jim Pearson. Upper Left: Ruth and her children, Kathy, Randy and Karen.

Second Left: Ruth and Doris with their family in Banff, BC (Canada) for Ruth’s Birthday. Center: Ruth with daughter Karen and granddaughter Ashleigh (Barnacle Babes). Second Right: Doris with granddaughter Amy, embracing their inner pirate. Upper Right: Ruth snuggling close with her great grandchildren, Eva, Talan and Drake. Right: Doris with her “Home from the Rink” painting. (source: www.pgfreepress.com). Far Right: Ruth with her Citizen of the Year plaque. (source: www.fftimes.com).

I love you Grandma Ruth, Auntie Doris & Uncle Jim. All of you Pearson’s out there! xo Ashleigh

Ocean Legacy,

continued from page 36 In 2015, the organization purchased technology that can convert plastic pollution back into usable mixed oil.

This technology along with many relationships formed with industrial and retail outlets has allowed the Ocean Legacy Foundation to recycle much of the ocean plastic waste into a useable fuel as well as new packaging products.

Ocean Legacy developed a 5-pillar system strategy to aid in real time solutions for the problems that our oceans are currently facing. They start with an on-line component: mapping and out plastic hotspots and adding ocean conservation initiatives to an international directory. User-generated mapping of ocean and shoreline plastic Hotspots is complete with mitigation details, checklists, and photos. The Directory maps and enables users to list and locate ocean related organizations worldwide.

Then, they initiate hotspot cleanup expeditions and mobilize local organizational cleaning efforts locally and internationally. That is when they integrate the plastic to fuel technology. The organization is currently fundraising money to purchase a large plastic to fuel machine that would service remote coastal communities, converting shoreline plastic pollution into a usable fuel.

Lastly, the Foundation offers educational resources on oceanic plastic management and mitigation strategies to communities and groups.

This type of system is incredibly effective as it empowers local communities worldwide to map out local Hotspots.

Ocean Legacy can then tailor an educational program and designate a time to deliver their technologies to these areas.

This offers the plastic to fuel machine so that these communities can clean up their shorelines and produce fuel that they can use as a source of power. I am deeply moved by the work of Chloe and James, and look forward to what is to come of Ocean Legacy.

Chloe writes grants to receive additional funding to get to more hotspots and keep this system working on a large scale. She is a dreamer and is constantly pushing the limits in co-creative projects to help make the world a better place. She has been a wilderness adventure guide, canoe instructor and has had a love and passion for the water/ environment her entire life. It appeared that Chloe and I had some things in common. Another brave woman, an explorer, someone who had a vision of a better world and who was not afraid to chase her dreams. And although I felt the roots of her adventurous nature, it was her work, which I found extremely captivating. I am hoping to join Ocean Legacy on a cleanup expedition in 2017, myself.

A mermaid is a being whose essence reflects a true connection with the sea, an understanding so deep and endearing that the sheer power of this force enables ones spirit to dream yet again, encompassing the blissful energy of a child, who has not yet been conditioned to the ways of the world. The ocean brings freedom through destruction and resolution. When one works with the spirit of the sea as the life force running through their veins, a certain type of magic seems to appear around them.

Chloe Dubois. A real life mermaid. And truly a legacy she will leave behind.

- Kelli Sroka Barnacle Babes Magazine

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BACK COVER

I am Her. The wild woman.

The warrior.

The shaman healer.

The curious child.

The grateful creator.

The Barnacle Babe.

I am awakened.

My mission is clear.

The time is now.

The time IS NOW. - Ashleigh Magill

www.BarnacleBabes.com