We Speak for The Oceans

I Speak For

I speak for the birds who eat plastic and die.

I speak for the sea turtles closing their eyes ready for peace.

I speak for the ocean which is getting more polluted every day.

I speak for the ocean life clinging on to life.

I speak for the trees which are being cut down.

I speak for the animals which are dying out.

I speak for the streams turning to plastic.

I speak for the fish breathing their last breath.

I speak for the overheating planet.

I speak for earth, the planet with only a few chances left

I speak for life.

– by Owen B., 4th Grade

Rooftop kids have been learning about the state of the world’s oceans and creating their own art to advocate for their planet and the oceans through our participation in The Blue Marble Project with the support of the project’s founder, Bay Area ocean scientist Wallace J. Nichols.

We began this ocean advocacy project after receiving our first Blue Marble from Dr. J at a 2010 presentation on the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on life in the Gulf.  Since then, every Rooftop K-8 student has received their own Blue Marble. Our kids have been learning about the health of our oceans and they are all encouraged to find something that they would like to do to help. This year, Rooftop students at the Burnett Campus decided to organize a recycling program that they called, “Save the Wave.” Students began monitoring and collecting lunchtime refuse, and this effort turned trash into cash with the help of Terracycle.  In half a year, Rooftop’s “True Blue Angels” collected and kept these items out of the landfill:

• 3,098 Drink Pouches
• 183 Elmer’s glue
• 107 Ink cartridges
• 1,817 Ziploc bags

The income that the students earned from recycling went to benefit their school, and a matching donation was made to Plant-a-Fish, to sponsor a sea turtle nest in El Salvador. Thanks to Vivazul El Salvador, we were able to see photos of our newly hatched 60 olive ridley sea turtles through the internet.  Needless to say, Rooftop students are growing up learning to love sea turtles.