Our last day

With Mar Vista only a few blocks from Camp Surf, we woke and pedaled onward, toward our last school visit of the bike trip. After giving the Poseiden Academy an introduction as to how the Sustainable Living Bike Tour began, Whitney, Kamron, and Travis gave a slideshow of our trip. The presentation took the students on a virtual tour down the coast and dove into topics such as California’s role in global issues with an emphasis on what students can do personally in their communities. After the slideshow Kyla, Meagan, Lissa, and Marguerite facilitated an activity about the effect of plastics on land and in the ocean (an issue that really hits home for all of our coastal schools and for those in Imperial Beach). Reducing our dependency on plastic materials is a significant way to help the environment and decrease our reliance on petroleum-based products, such as plastics. Plastic makes up of 90% of all marine debris, which can have detrimental affects on animals that depend on the ocean as a primary food source. Up to one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year as a result of plastic. We can all help reduce the number of animals affected by our actions with more intentional behavior regarding plastics and our trash.

After we left Mar Vista, we made it to the border as it began to rain, but didn't let it get us down- we arrived feeling accomplished and hopeful. We are hopeful that the students we encountered on this trip were able to take a piece of the inspiration we feel and use this inspiration and the information shared to make change in their communities. We are hopeful they too will promote a healthier world, because we are all connected to what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. Through interacting with these kids, we know there is hope for the environment and future generations.