Posted by Sherry Flumerfelt on 028] 10, 202003 at 12:13:22:
Divers “buddy up” to protect the coral reefs they love (San Francisco, CA) Divers in the U.S. are being asked to team up with dive buddies and park managers around the world, in an exciting campaign to support coral reef protected areas. Participating dive operators, clubs and associations will organize fundraising events leading up to Earth Day (April 22), and the proceeds will pay for conservation projects at some of the world’s most spectacular dive sites. The “Coral Parks Buddy Program” is being launched as part of the annual Dive In To Earth Day event coordinated by the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL). Anyone can participate by organizing a fundraising event in support of one of a number of selected projects that will be listed on the Dive In website (www.coral.org/divein). CORAL is currently researching several prospects, including mooring buoy installations, educational programs for local school children, motors for patrol boats, and SCUBA classes for local leaders, in places like Fiji, Indonesia, Honduras, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Palau. Selected projects will be announced during the first week of December. “This is a great opportunity for divers in the U.S. to give something back to the places they love to visit,” says Brian Huse, Executive Director of CORAL. “It’s a lot easier to raise a few hundred dollars here than it is from a remote island in a developing country, and that money can go a long way toward protecting local reefs. You could hold fundraising slide shows, raffles, dinners or film screenings - there are countless ideas, most of which are a lot of fun. By being a “Park Buddy,” people can support a project of their choice in a coral reef marine protected area, and really see the results of their donation.” Coral reefs are in danger. Eleven percent of the world’s coral reefs have already been lost, and another 32% will be lost in the next 30 years if human threats are not reduced. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely acknowledged as the most effective means of protecting coral reefs. The 2004 Dive In To Earth Day Campaign is aimed at supporting coral reef MPA managers and the dive operators that work with them. Dive In To Earth Day was developed to combat the lack of public attention to coral reefs and ocean issues. Since 2000, more than 134,500 people have organized 874 events in more than 80 countries around the world, including beach cleanups, mooring installations, educational snorkeling trips for schoolchildren, and reef monitoring events. CORAL coordinates Dive In with the support of Project AWARE Foundation, Earth Day Network, International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) and West Marine.
Coral Parks Buddy Program launched for Dive In To Earth Day 2004