Waves of 2023: A Future Blue Year In Review

WAVES OF

2023 A FUTURE BLUE YEAR IN REVIEW

Letter to our

Readers

We appreciate you taking the time to read our Year in Review! Throughout the year, the Future Blue Youth Council has dedicated its efforts to expanding awareness of environmental concerns, guiding youth-led community conservation projects, and much more. This publication represents the collective outcome of our endeavors.

Thank you for your support and for being a part of our journey towards a more sustainable future!

Love, The 2023 Future Blue Youth Council

TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Meet the FBYC........................................4 II. Featured Blogs.....................................11 III. Fellowship Grantees..........................13 IV. Other Projects....................................30 V. Monthly Meetings...............................35 VI. Reflections from the Year................36

MEET THE 2023

Future Blue Youth Council

ELIZABETH AKOMOLAFE

AARUSHI AMMAVAJJALA

Elizabeth is a multimedia artist, activist, and student leader passionate about justice and equity. She has been involved in her school's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs and has held many leadership positions. She is stepping down as Student Head of School to pursue engineering to fulfill a passion to create a better world. She is also an athlete and the founder of her school's Electronics & Robotics Club.

Elizabeth is a fire cadet and strives to meaningfully contribute to society.

Aarushi is an avid environmentalist and passionate advocate for the future. In addition to her officer position in her school’s Environmental Club, she has sought opportunities to continue making change. She is a RE-Volv Solar Ambassador Program member, which helps convert local and national nonprofits to solar energy. She is also a member of the National Green Youth Council. She won the Gold Award in the 2021 Ocean Awareness Contest for Creative Writing.

DHRUV BHATT

MALIKA GIZZAT

Dhruv is a climate activist from Uttarakhand, India. Dhruv started climate activism at age 11 and leads advocacy initiatives intersecting human rights and sustainable development. As a Child Advisor with #CovidUnder19, Dhruv has actively participated in global forums, including twice at the UN, where he addressed the president of Austria.

He has authored research articles, policy briefs, and toolkits. He has written extensively and creatively to highlight children's stories from climatevulnerable and marginalised communities. Dhruv also works on a green startup that revitalises traditional water mills in his state.

Growing up in the largest landlocked country in the world, Kazakhstan, Malika firmly believes in creative activism.

Specifically, she cares about the demise of what was once the fourth-biggest lake in the world, the Aral Sea, whose waters were sacrificed for fast fashion. Malika uses creative climate advocacy to increase the visibility of Central Asia.

That is why she founded a fully studentled organization called SeeAralSea, dedicated to amplifying the voices of Central Asian youth. In the future, Malika aspires to work in sustainable management to prevent similar tragedies.

SATVIKA IYER

ISHAN KAPUR

Satvika is a high school senior from Milpitas, California. She has created climate-friendly practices in her school district, including instituting a daily plant-based option at the school cafeteria, serving over 5,000 meals.

Satvika believes in equitable policy and works with the White House, USDA, and members of the U.S. Congress on legislative initiatives to incentivize healthy options and minimize waste in food systems. When she’s not hiking or watching “Our Planet,” you can find her playing volleyball and softball or experimenting in the kitchen, creating her new favorite snack!

Ishan is a passionate diver interested in economics, politics, and the environment. He is a rising senior at Wellington College, United Kingdom.

Ishan’s experiences in the oceans opened his eyes to the harsh realities of environmental pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Driven to develop a solution, he founded The Blue Voice, a campaign that helps conserve marine life, regrow coral reefs, and reduce pollution, while empowering weaker sections of society. Through the campaign, supported by the Bow Seat Fellowship Grant Program, single-use plastic bags are transformed into sleeping mats for the unhoused population in New Delhi, India.

SHAOMIN KEE

YUZUNA KUDO

Shaomin is an avid artist, environmentalist, and aspiring businesswoman. She is particularly passionate about endangered animals and habitat degradation. She is involved in numerous activities, such as being the owner of @keewicreations on Instagram; being a lead designer for a local design/apparel business; and running a nonprofit, Creative Diversity, to teach art to the underprivileged to reignite creativity in the younger generation.

Yuzuna studies environmental science and GIS in college with the hopes of uplifting communities disproportionately affected by climate change. With her background in GIS research, she is passionate about utilizing compelling data visualizations and storytelling to explore the intersection of social and environmental issues. In her free time, you can find her reading a book with her three cats, hiking in the mountains, or diving.

ARIANA PISCOYA

SARAH ROBISON

Ariana is enthusiastic about science, learning languages, and writing. As a student at Gettysburg College, she aims to carry out research and spread awareness about the impact of chemical pollution on health. After the oil spill on Peruvian beaches in 2022, she started to participate in and organize beach cleanups. As a FBYC member, she has learned about the environmental challenges worldwide and has become more confident in the power of young people to shape the future. In her free time, Ariana enjoys volunteering at farms, assisting children’s shelters, and creating recycled art.

Sarah is a Biology major and youth leader in environmental advocacy. She’s passionate about the natural sciences, environmental activism, climate advocacy, and animal studies. Sarah strives to excel in STEM and pursues her interest in protecting the planet for future generations through her youthled organization, CARE Club. She has also created petitions, hosted fundraisers, and organized community initiatives. While on the FBYC, Sarah actively engaged on the social media team, mentored three Fellowship grantees, and wrote multiple blogs.

JAYASHABARI SHANKAR A student at MIT, Jayashabari is deeply interested in the intersection of science and the humanities, particularly relating to the environment. Her work has been recognized and published in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times High School Insider, United Nations’ ISSCY Competition, and the University of Edinburgh’s New Americanist Journal. In the future, she would also like to look at the impact of different NLP models on environmental education, perhaps while working part-time in science journalism.

RIYA SHARMA Riya is an environmental activist who founded Biology for Better, a nonprofit organization that advocates for sustainable development goals and educational equity in STEM. She is involved in various organizations, including being a MASDAR Youth4Sustainability Ambassador, FFAC Advocacy Intern, YOUNGO NDC WG member, UAE Dolphin Project volunteer, and IRENA Youth Forum member. She received the Paryavaran Mitra Puraskar Award from the Indian government for her conservation efforts and is always seeking new ways to collaborate with other environmental activists.

EMILY XING

SUNOOK YOON

Emily is a freshman at Harvard University from Maryland. Ever since encountering the Chesapeake Bay, she has been fascinated with the environment: biodiversity, innovation, and how art can promote it. Currently, Emily conducts research at Johns Hopkins University, where she leads projects analyzing oil-spill-cleaning fungi and tobacco-control methods. Her science writing has been published in the New York Times, and she is a Conrad Challenge Scholar for her biodegradable menstrual product invention.

Sunook is a youth leader who is dedicated to helping his community and the environment. Attending Episcopal High School as a student-athlete, Sunook is the co-founder of the Environmental Droners, which is a youth-led initiative that helps reduce the amount of pollution in the environment using technology. Using drone technology to raise awareness about environmental issues and mobile/cellular technology to create global collaboration, he makes sure to be the light that sparks youth leaders around the world to pursue their passions and be the change for their community, environment, and world.

Featured Blogs We are the Future: The Importance of Youth Leaders in Environmental Activism by Sarah A Suprising Link Between Climate Change and Mental Health

by Aarushi Why the Climate Crisis is a Child Rights Crisis by Dhruv Sharks: More Than a “Scary” Animal

by Ariana Climate Change and Effective Altruism: A Cause Worth Fighting For

by Emily

Featured Blogs Mycelium Leather: Fungi, Fashion, and the Future by Ishan Central Asian Climate Heroes: Creative Climate Advocacy in My Region

by Malika Science & Art: My Two Experiences in Conservation by Riya Honoring Climate Heroes: Reflections on Bow Seat’s 2023 Ocean Awareness Contest

by Jayashabari

Fellowship Grantees Bow Seat collaborated with the FBYC to create and launch the Fellowship Grant Program in 2021. Established by youth, for youth, the Fellowship provides mentorship and funding to peers who are addressing environmental challenges in their local communities.

In 2023, our Fellowship grantees represented 7 countries and, with the support of their FBYC mentors and more than $20,000 in grant awards, addressed pressing environmental problems such as plastic pollution, textile waste, clean energy, water scarcity, and threatened species in impactful and creative ways.

Fellowship Grantees 7 8

9

10

11

5

3

6

1 2 4

1. Sinking a Borehole for the Wusasa Community (Nigeria) 2. TeamUpcyclers (Nigeria) 3. Reducing Human-Elephant Conflict (Cameroon) 4. Mudzi Cooking Project (Malawi) 5. Let’s Talk About Menstruation (Nepal) 6. Youth Environmental Movement (Colombia) 7. Hidden Plastic (United Kingdom) 8. Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (California, USA) 9. The Pontiac Food Forest (Illinois, USA) 10. Net Love (New Jersey, USA) 11. Bye Bye Plastic Bags Florida (Florida, USA)

Sinking a Borehole for the Wusasa Community Keren-happuch Garba Nigeria

ABOUT THE PROJECT Keren-happuch took on the formidable challenge of addressing water scarcity in the Wusasa community of Nigeria. Historically, the community has grappled with limited access to clean water, relying on a handful of wells or undertaking long journeys to secure this vital resource due to the area's climate.

Keren-happuch's mission was twofold: improving water quality and availability while also ensuring long-term sustainability within the community. Moreover, she aimed to raise awareness about climate change among young people, extending the conversation beyond the immediate community.

Thanks to the Fellowship Grant, Keren-happuch made her vision a reality by constructing a borehole that provided a reliable water source to the community. The grant not only helped solve the water scarcity problem but also allowed Keren-happuch to educate local children about climate change using creative approaches like art.

Keren-happuch continues to collaborate with her FBYC mentors to build on her work. She’s creating a children's book that aims to spread awareness about water scarcity, climate change, and the importance of community action. This partnership ensures her efforts have a lasting impact and resonates with the younger generation, just like we do here at Bow Seat!

Reducing Human-Elephant Conflict Eneigho Fanny Abirachoh, Shey Shanceline Cheche, and Bekoume Wandji Kouayep Braxley Cameroon

ABOUT THE PROJECT The lower slopes of Mount Cameroon, home to 100-200 elephants and several small villages, are suffering from inter-species clashes. Over the years, there have been increased human-elephant conflict due to habitat fragmentation in the communities surrounding this area. According to the residents of Bakingilli village, elephants have destroyed over 250 banana, plantain, corn, and bean plantations. The elephant communities face threats from the human inhabitants of their lands, too.

With support from the Fellowship Grant Program, Fanny, Shey, and Bekoume first tried to develop bees nests to deter elephants. When they realized this method was not working, they developed an alternative plan. Ultimately, Fanny, Shey, and Bekoume worked with community leaders to train and provide ongoing support to local residents on cassava cultivation and processing. Through their project, they have promoted harmony between the elephant and human communities of Mount Cameroon by creating access to an agricultural commodity that doesn’t require encroaching on elephant habitats in the forest. This has also improved the livelihood of Bakingilli households by providing an additional source of income through the cultivation, processing, and marketing of cassava products.

Bay Area Youth Climate Summit Finn Does, Natalie Heller, Sophie Eilersen, Sophie Merickel California, USA

ABOUT THE PROJECT The Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (BAYCS) amplifies the much-needed voices of youth in the climate movement. Their annual climate summits have brought together tens of organizations and hundreds of youth for a day of climate solutions, resilience, and community. The BAYCS team, composed of 25 Bay Area youth from 15 schools, has hosted four summits and organized 70+ monthly workshops in partnership with local environmental justice organizations. Workshop topics have covered everything from coral bleaching to how housing intersects with environmental justice to air quality equity. Since BAYCS’ inception in 2020, the team has mobilized over 3,500+ youth, garnering the attention of the UN, ABC News, and more!

With support from the Fellowship Grant Program, BAYCS hosted an Earth Day festival centered on hope. On April 22nd, they mobilized 100+ youth and 20+ high schools in Golden Gate Park to create community while taking action for people and planet. Since then, they have hosted upcycling and art workshops with SCRAP Reuse Center, as well as held their Annual Summit at the California Academy of Sciences.

As mentors, the Future Blue Youth Council helped brainstorm and execute ideas for their workshops, expand their social media presence, and create a plan for the longevity of the organization. Through this support, BAYCS aims to expand their reach, prompting even more Bay Area youth to take collective action in the spheres of policy, social justice, and education.

Youth Environmental Movement Ashlee Yin and Alejandra Arcila Colombia

ABOUT THE PROJECT Youth Environmental Movement (YEM) is an environmental network of national and international organizations, schools, and institutions that work together to promote events and activities regarding the circular economy, biodiversity conservation, and environmental education. Its flagship events are the Ecoshoot, an international environmental photography contest, and the Eco-Marathon, a road race that promotes recycling.

The Future Blue Youth Council was excited to work with YEM to promote its early development by supporting fundraising efforts, designing a social media communications plan, assisting in organizational networking, and strengthening student outreach to achieve their organizational goals.

With support from the Fellowship Grant, YEM launched their website (yemovement.net), hosted the second edition of their Eco-Marathon with 160 students, and completed the Closing the Loop magazine (to be published soon).

Hidden Plastic Zara and Ashton Hawkins United Kingdom

ABOUT THE PROJECT Siblings Zara and Ashton Hawkins launched Hidden Plastic in 2020 to raise awareness of the plastic pollution crisis. They create and share educational videos through Hidden Plastic’s social media platforms on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

With the support of the Fellowship Grant Program, Zara and Ashton created a dedicated Hidden Plastic Studios, which will now enable the launch of their “Did You Know?” series of short videos on plastic pollution. A youth-led news channel will follow later this year and will include interviews and creative videos about the problems of and solutions to plastic pollution. Bow Seat will continue to help provide content for this news channel and connect Zara and Ashton to environmental youth leaders.

Mudzi Cooking Project Maria Kameta Malawi

ABOUT THE PROJECT Every day, women surrounding the Chisinga Forest spend time procuring firewood to run their homes and feed their families. In search for an alternative to the exploitative practices of deforestation, Maria decided to create a new form of energy using what the villages already had in stock. Using waste paper, sawdust, agricultural waste, groundnut shells, rice husks, and maise stalks, Maria trains women and other community members in the surrounding villages to create briquettes to be used with energy-efficient cooking stoves.

In addition, Maria hosts festivals to integrate briquette-making into community culture. She also has created a cohort of climate ambassadors who visit classrooms to introduce the concept of climate change to students. They are also trained to create their own stoves, become climate advocates, and join Maria in her mission to give her community the tools to make sustainable decisions.

With the support of the Fellowship Grant Program, Maria has expanded her efforts, training youth and women in the construction of efficient stoves and briquette-making. She has also constructed cooking stoves in 218 households, produced over 6,500 briquettes, mentored 50 youth climate advocates, and ultimately educated over 700 youth and community members about climate change.

TeamUpcyclers Grace Obiorah, Jennifer Obiorah, Chinenye Obiorah, Denelson Obiorah, Charles Obiorah, and Victor Ekemezie Nigeria

ABOUT THE PROJECT TeamUpcyclers upcycles textile waste into eco-friendly and affordable reusable sanitary pads for girls and women in rural communities in Nigeria. Grace and her siblings developed this low-cost solution to combat inadequate waste management within the textile industry and to increase menstrual health awareness and sanitary product accessibility within their community. Her team is also committed to expanding climate education in schools and teaching students how to upcycle textile waste into reusable sanitary pads.

The Future Blue Youth Council has been excited to work with TeamUpcyclers to expand the reach of their project, educating more students about climate change and making sanitary pads more accessible. Grace, her team, and the FBYC collaborated to develop a comprehensive climate curriculum and establish a professional digital presence to reach a wider audience.

Among many other awards, TeamUpcyclers was among the 10 finalists at the Goshen Impact Fund, where they received funding to scale and launch new products in addition to sanitary pads. These new products body wear, footwear, and bags - were incorporated into their financial empowerement and sustainable practices work with internally displaced persons at Karonmajiji IDP Camp Abuja.

They have also launched TeamUpcyclers’ Ocean Restoration Challenge to teach students about converting ocean debris to wealth.

The Pontiac Food Forest Mackenzie Coates, Claire Smith, Grace Rice Illinois, USA

ABOUT THE PROJECT Food insecurity is a prevalent issue in Mackenzie, Claire, and Grace’s hometown. To address this problem, they acquired a deforested lot that they turned into the Pontiac Food Forest, a community garden that helps make fresh food available to all. The trio also plans to incorporate a physical climate “classroom” in the garden, where the community can learn about topics like greenhouse gases, energy, resources, and pollinators. Through their project, Mackenzie, Claire, and Grace aim to emphasize the importance of two interconnected issues: food insecurity and climate change.

With support from the Fellowship Grant Program and Future Blue Youth Council, the Pontiac Food Forest was able to purchase supplies, including seeds, tools, a tool shed, gardening equipment, and presentation materials. They planted the food forest with the help of their classmates, community volunteers, and partners. In addition, they welcomed community gardeners and experts to review the space, and mulched the lot to prepare an additional walkway.

After maintaining the Food Forest - watering, stewarding, and weeding daily - Mackenzie, Claire, and Grace, harvested their first round of produce and delivered it to the Pontiac Salvation Army and Livingston County. They also partnered with a local restaurant to offer a low/zerocost specialty item using food from the food forest.

Let’s Talk About Menstruation Bishal Panthi, Sonu Kumar Yadav, Prashant Neupane, Ram Raj Shabda Yadav Nepal

ABOUT THE PROJECT In their quest to break cultural taboos, Bishal and his team founded Let’s Talk About Menstruation: Normalizing Conversations About Periods in Nepal (LTAM) to advocate for menstrual health. Their project hosted local workshops that promoted conversations around menstrual hygiene, involving an environmentally focused curriculum with creation and distribution of sustainable period products.

Through the Fellowship Grant Program and mentoring support from the Future Blue Youth Council, LTAM launched their first online menstrual awareness webinar, which was a hit amongst school-aged girls who, for the first time in their lives, discussed their menstrual needs and experiences in a safe, inclusive space. To further promote gender equality in the city of Butwal, LTAM distributed pamphlets and flyers in public spaces written in Nepali.

The LTAM team also developed partnerships to assist in creating digital tools to reach more girls during the workshops. FBYC mentors worked with LTAM to integrate eco-friendly menstrual practices and environmental themes in their workshops and helped them set up their first social media presence.

The immense success of LTAM’s online workshops paved the way for physical sessions in schools as well as their menstrual awareness campaign, Blooming Red, which addressed topics such as the environmental aspects of conventional menstrual products, bio-friendly sanitary napkins, and the myths and facts of menstruation.

Net Love Lily & Maggie Liu New Jersey, USA

ABOUT THE PROJECT Lily and Maggie established Net Love to recycle and repurpose tennis balls, which end up in landfills every year and contribute to tons of methane-producing, non-compostable waste.

The Future Blue Youth Council was excited to work with Lily and Maggie to expand their recycling and repurposing efforts. With the Fellowship Grant, Net Love has recycled over 25,000 tennis balls, expanded their organizational team, and developed partnerships with tennis clubs, pros, and townships.

Net Love created two new chapters as tennis players reached out to them via their social media. These chapters in Miami, Florida, and San Francisco, California, collected 3,000 tennis balls to be recycled.

The Future Blue Youth Council helped Net Love become more active on social media and brainstormed ideas on how to combine arts and crafts with the recycled tennis balls to attract more youth to join their cause.

Lily and Maggie continue to expand their organization with new sponsorships and a partnership with RecycleBalls.org to start communicating with professional tournaments and players to recycle their tennis balls.

Bye Bye Plastic Bags Florida Karina Samuel Florida, USA

ABOUT THE PROJECT Karina founded Bye Bye Plastic Bags Florida (BBPBF) in 2018 to combat environmental concerns through beach cleanups. While the organization was initially focused on plastic waste reduction, Karina soon learned that pollution was far from the only environmental problem. BBPBF evolved into an intersectional activist group that, in addition to conducting cleanups, also concentrates on alleviating climate justice issues through lobbying events and strikes.

With support from the Fellowship Grant Program and Future Blue Youth Council, members of BBPBF traveled to Indonesia and India, two hubs of the global BBPB movement, to organize sustainable clean-up efforts at the Kuta Beach and the Ganges River, respectively. Through participating in these international efforts, BBPBF members gained global perspectives on different environmental issues and policies, created a committed network of anti-plastic youth advocates, and spurred conversation and pro-environment dialogue across numerous cultures and backgrounds.

“

We are incredibly grateful for the support and guidance provided by our Fellowship mentors during our project. We acknowledge the immense value of our mentors' involvement and sincerely appreciate their commitment to fostering our project's success.

Bay Area Youth Climate Summit

”

“

My Fellowship mentors are so amazing. I have learned a lot from them, and the skills I have gained have supported my project implementation skills.

Mudzi Cooking Project

”

“

My experience with the program was excellent overall. I had the opportunity to tweak the mentorship to my liking and have it be as handson or as hands-off as I liked. I also liked that I could reach out to mentors at any time and enjoyed their proactive approach to their work.

Bye Bye Plastic Bags Florida

”

“

We have found the whole budgeting process to be a wonderful experience we have learned how to cut costs and upcycle. We're all so grateful for the opportunity to make our dream possible.

Hidden Plastic Studios

”

“

Our Fellowship mentors are extremely helpful in providing unique and creative ideas. They encouraged us to be more active on social media and gave us ideas to combine arts and crafts with recycled materials.

Net Love

”

“

Hailing from the rural regions of Nepal with limited resources and guidance, embarking on a project focused on menstrual health hygiene and environmental impact was a daunting task, particularly due to the constraints of funding. I am immensely grateful to Bow Seat for giving me this wonderful opportunity and for their unwavering support throughout the entire project. The guidance extended by [my mentors] proved instrumental in achieving a significant impact in project execution.

”

Let’s Talk about Menstruation

“

My mentors have been really supportive despite their busy schedules.

”

Sinking a Borehole for the Wusasa Community

“

I enjoyed the mentorship and assistance from the Bow Seat Fellowship team. Above all, I enjoyed the follow-ups because they kept us on our toes to do more and even motivated us to exceed our initial target.

I'm happy that I get to speak with mentors from diverse countries.

Team UpCyclers

”

“

Our Fellowship mentors have been super helpful in keeping us on track with deadlines and goals for the summer, and they have been wonderful brainstormers.

The Pontiac Food Forest

“

Receiving mentorship from the Council was really helpful, especially for keeping us motivated in our project. It was also a relief knowing that there was always someone that had our backs and answered every question about what we were not experienced in.

Youth Environmental Movement

”

We’re looking forward to another great year for the Fellowship Grant Program!

”

Other FBYC Projects Bow Seat x SAGE, by Emily This Spring, Bow Seat collaborated with STEM Accelerates Girls’ Excellence to host an all-new Climate Awareness class!

Over 60 students from all over the world signed up for this 6-week session, which covered topics from climate science foundations to important environmental ARTivists. We were so excited to see our students write ocean-based haikus and engage with our guest speakers, which included Bow Seat team members Eric and Akhila! It was an amazing intersection between climate science, education, and the arts.

Fellowship Grant Program StoryMap, by Yuzuna Through dynamic maps, impactful quotes, and personal narratives, experience the transformative impact of our global Fellowship Grant Program. This interactive journey gives voice to the grantees and mentors, offering a compelling glimpse into their personal experiences and the interconnected efforts shaping a more sustainable future.

Bow Seat at the 78th UN Science Summit,

by Jayashabari In their presentation "The Crucial Role of Humanities in Scientific Progress," FBYC members questioned the prevailing emphasis on climate science when addressing climate change and pondered the potential of integrating artistic expression, storytelling, and cultural narratives to resonate with a wider audience. Drawing from our experiences with the FBYC and Bow Seat, we shared personal anecdotes about bridging the gap between scientific inquiry and human emotion.

Bow Seat Outreach,

by Dhruv This March, Dr. Laura Wright, a lecturer of Childhood studies at the University of Edinburgh, invited me to deliver a virtual guest lecture about child- and youth-led environmental action to a class of students working with young children. Using examples of creative and beautiful resources available in the Bow Seat Gallery, such as Biscuit and Buttercup Lend A Fin, Oscar the Turtle Learns About Ocean Pollution and Climate Change, and SUPERTOMMY: Oceanic Champion, I demonstrated the imaginative potential of children as agents of change. I also shared about the Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Contest and the Future Blue Youth Council.

This was a fantastic experience. I received a lot of positive reactions about the Bow Seat Gallery as an excellent learning resource for both educators and young students!

The Blue Voice, by Ishan The Blue Voice aims to reduce plastic pollution in local waterways while simultaneously aiding housing-insecure and other marginalized populations in the city. Ishan conducted a large-scale plastic bag collection drive through a network of volunteers, then employed disadvantaged women served by the non-governmental organization Hamari Asha to crochet the plastic bags into sleeping mats. The mats each use approximately 700 bags and are lightweight, transportable, waterproof, and do not attract lice or ticks. They are then donated to the unhoused who live on the banks of the river.

Monthly Meetings A glimpse into our monthly meetings,

by Malika

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Sophia Herod (No Change Given Podcast), Isaias Hernandez (Queer Brown Vegan), Pamela Nathenson (World Connect), Donna Hazard (SeaAhead)

Our Reflections From the Year My portal into the environmental activism space was writing - writing stories about the children impacted by flooding in my state, poems about casteism and water insecurity in India, and blogs on the human rights aspect of environmental degradation. At Bow Seat, I found an audience who not only listened to all my venting but appreciated it and gave it a place in the Bow Seat Gallery!

This inspired me to engage with Bow Seat in other ways, and that’s how I found out about the Future Blue Youth Council. I am so glad that I did!

As an FBYC member, I have learned so much! From drafting elaborate meeting agendas for our weekly Fellowship mentorship meetings to playing (and winning) ocean-themed virtual games, this has been a very memorable experience. I will definitely miss our monthly meetings and the many expert speakers who spoke so passionately about their work to inspire us.

After my term with FBYC ends, I plan to start college, continue my human rights work, and explore the intersections of social inequality and the environmental crisis more deeply. Oh, and I've got awesome ideas for grassroots environmental campaigns that I will cook up in my free time. And, of course, I will keep writing my heart out because that's just what I do!

- Dhruv

In 2021, I par ticipated in th e Bow Seat O for the first cean Awarenes time and knew s Contest im mediately that with this incred I wanted to w ible organizatio ork n. Being a par Youth Council t of the Futu broadened my re horizons on cr Blue transformed m eative activism e and my advo and cacy in many surrounded by different way such supportiv s. Being e people who and the natura share my love l world is a ve for art ry eye-openin I would like to g experience. express my gra Firstly, titude to the Linda, Eric, A Bow Seat team nne, Ajay, Jer emy, and other helped me trul s - who guid y unleash my ed and creative potent no borders ial. In FBYC you can use yo yo u have ur skills to cr climate-relate eate many mea d projects. I ningful am so happy th professionals at I got to w in the environm o rk with ental field who this amazing ye helped me dur ar. ing The FBYC com munity will alw ays have a sp We’re all so d ecial place in ifferent but my heart. united in one future. Seeing goal: achieving different per a green spectives on en different coun vironmentalism tries develops from a sense of co us to do even mmunity and in more. Seeing sp ires al l the ambitious members starte d also motivate initiatives that the d me to pursu further and cr e my interest eate my own s o even rganization ded the environmen icated to incr tal and cultur easing al visibility of SeeAralSea. Central Asia, All our meeting s were always passion - I al f illed with joy ways looked f and orward to them .

- Malika

Joining the Future Blue Youth Council has been an incredibly enriching and transformative experience that has opened up a world of opportunities and learning for me. Engaging with a diverse group of youth from various corners of the globe has broadened my perspective and allowed me to delve deeper into the critical realm of ocean and water conservation. Being part of the Council provided me with a platform to not only connect with like-minded individuals but also to expand my knowledge on the multifaceted aspects of environmental preservation. It was inspiring to mentor numerous climate-related projects, collaborate with passionate individuals, and contribute to impactful initiatives aimed at conserving our planet's vital resources. From collaborative projects to impactful discussions and the chance to advocate for change, joining Bow Seat’s team has been a journey that has not only empowered me but also instilled in me a deeper sense of responsibility toward our environment and its preservation.

- Shaomin

he marked t il c n u o C h e Yout uture Blu a mentoring role in wed to F e h t in Being took as allo I formally y. As a mentor, I w rojects e im t t s fir ocac cacy p ental adv ntal advo e mit m n o ir environm v ience Sum ess. c le en S a c N s U d e n a h progr e at t support scientific rld. I spok o in w s e ie h it t n d aroun lab, f huma king at a ortance o r p nd o w im e e c h n t district, a on erie l p o x o e h c y s m y on ject, ion in m I reflected oking Pro te educat o a C m i li z c d u g he M conductin g and ntor for t e m a torytellin s s a t g a h in t v r t e c s fa g it to the nce accessible. connectin ie c s make s ie it n a m u h I had been e my t a h t d e z ncil, I reali deavors long befor u o C e h t ls of heir en Through d my skil e thers in t n o o g h in e t v ell. r a o supp hers as w 3 eat, and h t S o w it f o e B n e h e 202 cy to b time wit ero for th nd advoca h a e t g a in ll m e li t c as a story g featured h inspirin g it in w e b ly p e m e Fro ing d the o connect given me s n and a h t a e Contest t compassio ow S f B o , s r r e e k w a o the p pe for changem recognize a new ho o e t v a y h it I n . u Seat. ld opport r the wor all thanks to Bow e v o ll a n t is innovatio d, and tha a e h a e r u the fut - Satvika

W ork i g iv e n g a s a n me C de b t t h e o u n c il m o o emb ppo f g su p p ortin ratitud rtunity er has e w it h t g much my pla to Bow o repay F e llo s t ic -ne my Seat w e b w it h s h ip P r o d e d f u a g c a m f o r n p n g been ew and ram. I ds throu aign n gh t t h a t in s p ir in g u p c o m in v o l v in g he g m envir problem as it m grante yself s e a o long nmenta like clim kes me s has l co er g belie at e n o T ak i n g i i n g u n n s e r v a t i o c h a n g e ve n ns and o mem b e r s p ir a t io n t ic e d b y a r e n o in f u ar o u f rom yo si n C o u n u t h. t o s n g g r an d t h e c il g c t s t r e a l e t h e ir w in n e r s l o b e a n d n v e r y g t h e n t h o p e r a t i w it h t h e on e f ulf abilit il l in g ir im p a c s a n d y t e h as xp e r - I b ie n c e een sh an . a

r in teache for S I G e my y piec igued w h en m y g t i n i n r t pportu ter submit ys been int ated o s i h plic ut t y af alwa d abo ded I appl t. I have ay com telling. l e e n r r a o e t ry en t l t es I f i r s o o l r e c o m m r e n e s s C o n u l d b e u s e d u ch l i k e s t o h a m o c high s 2 Ocean Aw ant maps c ible way My en c e ut sci th others. st ib r 02 o e v 2 b g i a , l e d h u t wi ly a te e c o lo r f n e asi assion onnections erienc . I p x e b y h o w c d a t a in a a y s b e e n p c e s l lw in g fu l valuab these thing if i s c ie n t w a y , I ’v e a a k in g m e a n n iq u e a n d y l e l t ac op u m s o n ex ble pe by en a a k e I n t h i ic a t io n a n d r r i b o m w s d a to n nd il h ly a c om m u the C oun c t u nit y th tru nd goals, a heir i r o w p p g o n i n t in t ns a t im e o ’v e h a d t h e y c o l l a b o r a role passio all leading r a b l I small i m d e a i r s e e r e y r i h h a w it sp pl y a climate e e n in le to lo b e w t s t he have b ound the g any projec ve been ab rywhere to obal m ha ve ar gl f rom yone e creating a ut t h e r at e f ul t o r o e b v a e g g d n e ct l e a r n in it ie s . I a m a rt a n o con d t n a n n o u s i it ie c o m m S e a t ’s m is s h um an e h w a r ds . t w e o t h s g l u a in B o t r on m e n ac y t h a d v o c it y o f e n v ir n com m u T he op p o un a rtunity t - Y uz o se r v e experienc o n t he F e f or m e

BY C w a s ! I ment I wrote a fulfillin o r e d t hr multiple g and fu ee Fellow blogs on w as an a n ship Gran topics I’m ctive mem t project passionat b e r of t fantastic s; e a b out; he social co and I media te enthusiast mmunity of young am. The s to whic environm FBYC is h I w as e asp e c t w n t a a l activists h app y t o as an inv a nd ocean contribut aluable p friends, e! T he t ar t o f m and colla eamwork y experie b o r at e d on the c n c e; I m with them ouncil did a d e genuine in multip n’t feel op p ortun le ways. a s t h o u gh ity to en M y time it was wo gage in an d p r o m a lot of r k bu t r a oting the activities. ther an O c e an A w voice, as I liked d areness C b o t h an is cu o n t est w alumna an I’ve mad ith a uniq ssing d a F BY C e an d t h ue e k m em b er . m y p e r so T h e c on n nal growt nowledge I’ve ac ections quired w h as I c o environm ill be inv ntinue on e n t al c o n a lu a s m ble to e rvation. y journey memories Thank yo an d o p p o in u , F BY C , rtunities! f o r t he H a v in g great b e e n a r UA E D e se o l o o k in l p h in P r o j e a r c h v o l u nt g at e e r in ad v o c c t , I h ad le n s.

- S ar ah a e cy thr x p e r i e t he E x p lo r o nc e i e n v ir o n g ot ug h a he n S e a t , m e n t a l a w a r m e d iu m s s c ie n t if ic re s o e x p r e u c h a s t h r o n e s s t h r o u f r a is in g s s io n , g h Bo ug h a w r t an d w a s in so g r at e f u c r e d ib c r e a l t l i ve op p or y in s p t t u n it y o h a v e r e ir in g. c e g r an t t I i o v e d th am men ee p r o g r s an d h e lp t o r F e llo w s e es hi t m e m b s , c o l l a b o r h e ir p r o j e p e rs f r o m a a t e w i t h C ct s w r it e ou roun d ab o ut t h e w n c il S e at m y e o x p e r ie b lo g . r l d, a nc nd A to co lle g e , s I e m b ar e s o n t h e k on I hop S e at m y j o Bo w in t h e e to u r n ey w com b i f uture ork w n e sc i t h i n B so m e o ie n c e , capac w ar t , a i t y n - R iy d ad v a a ocacy. nd

I had honest ly not expect ed to form meaningful re the lationships an d gain the n perspectives ew I did on the Future Blue Y Council. As a outh Fellowship me ntor, I was talk to passio able to nate environm ental leaders countries I ha from d ne ve r e ve n met anyone f before; to se rom e them on vid eo calls really sparked me to learn more ab out issues ar the world. A oun d nd talking wit h the amazing Seat team an Bo w d other Coun cil members, as though I I f eel have genuinely learned so m from what ev uch eryone has d one. We’re al such differen l from t global backg rounds, so w time zones ar hile e a pain, any time we have idea, there’s an a supportive and heartwar community to ming cheer you on . I cannot w see what I ca ait to n do f or our world in the future as I further pursu e environmen activism and tal innovation. A nd Bow Seat have been a will key inspiratio n in that.

- Emily

ach, e a p p ro u iq n u o t’s anities t B ow S e a m o u t h n d w n a a r ar t s olly I w as d g r at e d w er e w h e t s t in r a y e e tiv how th the crea ld of t a h t e r riven ie e n su o f t en d in the f o d o e t t n is e re re p re s he F u t u , which t m s o li S a t . n s e r n environm cts and numbe l situatio th a e id a f e h o t b y h ar d wn to b cil was a n r u d o C ly l h p ut e - de e biologica m Blue Yo e h e t k li o e on e t als f o r so m nities bu the FBYC, I’ve a m u h d an of sion writing member ative mis r a g e s t A in . t this sciences g s, rying ou r a c d iting blo s Science r e w y b e n jo y y ation especiall nited N U rantees, e myself, g h t ip in h s w g tin Fello ft er participa entoring d the world. A m d n a with roun Summit, working om all a r e f u e ed in t m n o o who c be involv p e to c o t o h e I u in , nt m y te rm I will co d n a iatives , t a l nta init ain a e m B ow S e n o ir to maint env e s u p o io h r a in v t he u s. I mbining ut c am p o o c h g o u t o r t th en talism commitm ironmen v n e in lifelong s an d ar t sciences o c ac y . an d ad v - J ay as

h ab ar i