Shared Experiences on the Water: Reconnecting with our Ocean and Each Other

June 10, 2021

Marine Programs Director, Dr. Michael Quill

Hi, my name is Michael Quill, Marine Programs Director for Los Angeles Waterkeeper. My work with LA Waterkeeper began over a decade ago, while it was formally known as Santa Monica Baykeeper, working with marine science students near the coast. One of my first presentations was to a public school in Malibu with my mentor and former dive program manager. We entered the classroom through the school's aquarium and well-equipped ocean laboratory to deliver a kelp restoration presentation. I quickly became aware of how well the students understood the need to protect our planet and how humans contributed to the planet's deteriorating environmental conditions. I realized then that we were preaching to the choir, focusing our efforts on a small portion of Los Angeles that was already aware of our work's value. So, I began to explore working with community members who may not be familiar with this connection to our planet and who would benefit more from a first-hand experience out on the water.

Los Angeles Harbor

In 2012, when our Marine Protected Areas Boat-Based Survey Program (MPA Watch) first launched, we took a similar approach. Our volunteers were predominantly students with a marine science background or individuals who already had a relationship with our marine environments. But in a synchronistic occurrence, Santa Monica Baykeeper became Los Angeles Waterkeeper. As we moved efforts up our watershed to encompass all of LA County, our programs began to intentionally focus on engaging our communities most impacted by environmental injustice - Indigenous, Black, and Latino communities. We began to adapt MPA Watch to include members of these communities, who might be less engaged with the ocean. In 2017 we launched Creeks to Coast (C2C), a more specialized community watershed and ocean education program, which deeply propelled me into approaching my personal work with a nature-based lens- finding sustainable solutions to restore natural ecosystems while contributing to human well-being.

“But in a synchronistic occurrence, Santa Monica Baykeeper became Los Angeles Waterkeeper, and as we moved efforts up our watershed to encompass all of LA County, our programs began to intentionally focus on engaging our communities most impacted by environmental injustice - Indigenous, Black, and Latino communities.”

The C2C program engaged high school students from underserved communities in hands-on environmental science learning experiences over the course of a semester. We quickly discovered that many students had not been to the ocean and were unaware that there was a river in LA. "You mean the sewer?" we were asked when discussing human influences on the LA River. At first, I thought the students were joking about the water quality in the River. Still, when the former Watershed Programs Manager shared a map of our watershed, following the River's path, the students stayed silent. We discovered the River flowed just two blocks away from the school, but that was unknown information to the students. "Why didn't anyone ever tell us this?" a student demanded. Other students joined in and voiced their frustration about this lack of information. I was humbled when I realized that not everyone knew what a watershed was or that there was indeed an LA River. To the students, the River was nothing more than an eyesore.

Creeks to Coast students walking along a concrete channel, 2019.

With no learned or experienced connection to what it was or what it could be, it was evident that some communities fared better with access to nature than others, an inequality that became more apparent during the pandemic. We saw wealthier communities experiencing an abundance of access to natural resources, while lower-income communities often find themselves in industrial hotspots. With little access to nature, there was little connection between their actions and the environment, but being outdoors in the River or on the Waterkeeper boat appeared to reconnect students to themselves, each other, and their community. It helped encourage the students to become stewards for a healthier community and environment.

“I was humbled when I realize that not everyone knew what a watershed was or that there was indeed an LA River.”

Volunteers from all walks of life have joined me on the 10 ft. X 10 ft. Waterkeeper boat, working side-by-side out on the water, and our shared experience reminds me that we all have a connection with each other and with nature. From the screams of excitement at witnessing a whale breach, or dolphins riding the wake of the Waterkeeper boat, or even being splashed as we made our way across the bay, those unguarded moments express the deeper connection we all share. This is especially evident out on the ocean in close quarters with others and with little distractions. And this connection we all feel, the similar reactions we all have when outdoors, serves to disrupt conditioned beliefs that we are separate from nature. Those moments bridge any gaps imposed between humans and nature, planting mindful seeds of stewardship of our ocean and reconnect us to our planet and each other.

New Earth Students on the Waterkeeper boat, 2014.

We, humans, have developed so many ways to use the Earth as a resource, and unfortunately, as a dumping ground. The puzzling question is why a species that benefitted so greatly from nature would suddenly disconnect from and destroy its life source. We have spent less time in contact with nature and have less access to nature than ever before, and this decrease of time spent outdoors sprouted the concept of Nature Deficit Disorder. Nature-Deficit Disorder has emerged as a possible contributing factor to psychological and physical dysfunctions such as a lack of respect for or stewardship of our natural resources and other species. From the massive DDT dumpsite off the Los Angeles coast to the plastic and other waste that flows from the furthest inland reaches of LA County to the sea, we have consistently treated our ocean with an 'out of sight, out of mind' mentality. While our ocean is vast, it's not an endless, expansive landfill.

Los Angeles Harbor, 2021.

“We, humans, have developed so many ways to use the Earth as a resource, and unfortunately, as a dumping ground. The puzzling question is why a species that benefitted so greatly from nature would suddenly disconnect from and destroy its life source.”

But at LA Waterkeeper, we see hope. This disconnect from nature, and the ocean specifically, is changing. We are reckoning with the consequence of our past actions and realizing we are all part of a larger and connected ecosystem. People are learning that our needs can be met without destroying the planet and its natural resources. So, this World Ocean Month, take a moment to go outside, connect with your planet Earth, and be a responsible steward. Whether it's picking up a piece of trash on a walk or joining us for our Plastic Free July: Cleanup Challenge, your actions can make a difference and inspire others to do the same. We are one planet with one ocean, and our fragile ecosystems need our protection. You have the power to make an impact with your actions, your voice, and your dollars. Let's do right by our planet and ensure a blue water future together!

The Ocean. Photo: Dan Formsma