I-Marine Advocacy Akukona Nje Ososayensi: Umbono Wangaphambili Womfundi

Ibhalwe ngu: Kate Maude
Esikhathini esiningi sobuntwana bami, ngangiphupha ngolwandle. Ngikhulele endaweni engaphansi kweChicago, uhambo lomndeni oluya ogwini lwenzeka kuphela ngemva kweminyaka emibili noma emithathu, kodwa ngangigxuma kuwo wonke amathuba ukuze ngifunde okwengeziwe ngemvelo yasolwandle. Izithombe ezishaqisayo zezidalwa zasolwandle kanye nezinhlobonhlobo ezinhle zezixhobo zamakhorali engazithola ezincwadini nasezindaweni zasolwandle zamangaza ingqondo yami encane futhi, lapho ngineminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ubudala, zangiholela ekubeni ngimemezele inhloso yami yokuba isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle kubo bonke ababeyofuna. lalela.

Nakuba ngingathanda ukusho ukuthi isimemezelo sami sobungane somsebenzi engangiwuhlosile wesikhathi esizayo sagcwaliseka, angisona isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle. Nokho, mina ngiyinto elandelayo engcono kakhulu: ummeli wasolwandle. Nakuba kungesona isihloko sami esisemthethweni noma umsebenzi wami wesikhathi esigcwele (okwamanje, lokho kungaba i-backpacker), ngibheka umsebenzi wami wokumela ulwandle njengophakathi kwemisebenzi yami ebaluleke kakhulu nezuzisayo, futhi ngine-The Ocean Foundation engizoyibonga ngokunginikeza usizo. ulwazi oludingekayo ukuze ube ummeli ophumelelayo.

Ekolishi, ngashintshashintsha phakathi kwama-majors isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba ngiqedele iziqu ze-Geography and Environmental Studies. Ngo-2009, ngafunda phesheya ngesemester eNew Zealand. Lapho ngikhetha amakilasi ami e-semester, ngathola ithuba lokubhalisa isifundo sebhayoloji yasolwandle. Injabulo emsulwa engayithola ngokubukeza izihloko zesayensi ezikhuluma ngomthelela wokushintsha kwesimo sezulu ezindaweni ezinamagagasi aphakathi kwamagagasi nokuhlola izindawo ezinamagagasi ezilwane zasolwandle yasiza ekuqiniseni isifiso sami sokuzihilela ezindabeni zasolwandle, futhi ngaqala ukufuna umsebenzi owawuzoba unyaka olandelayo. ngivumele ngiphishekele intshisekelo yami olwandle. Ekwindla ka-2009, ngazithola ngisebenza njengomfundi oqeqeshwayo e-The Ocean Foundation.

Isikhathi sami e-Ocean Foundation sangivumela ukuba ngihlole umhlaba wokongiwa kolwandle futhi ngifunde ngezindlela ezehlukene ososayensi, izinhlangano, othisha, nabantu ngabanye abasebenza ukuze bakhuthaze ukuvikelwa nokuvuselelwa kwezindawo zasolwandle. Ngokushesha ngabona ukuthi ukuvikela ulwandle kwakungadingi ukuba ngibe isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle, isakhamuzi esikhathazekile, esimatasa. Ngaqala ukuthola izindlela zokuhlanganisa ukongiwa kwasolwandle emsebenzini wami wesikole nasempilweni yami yansuku zonke. Kusukela ekubhaleni iphepha locwaningo ngesimo samakhorali ayigugu ekilasini lami lebhayoloji yezokongiwa kwemvelo kuya ekushintsheni ukudla kwami ​​kwasolwandle, ulwazi engaluthola e-Ocean Foundation lwangivumela ukuba ngibe isakhamuzi esiqaphe kakhulu.

Ngemva kokuphothula ekolishi, nganquma ukubhalisa ohlelweni lwe-AmeriCorps ogwini oluseNtshonalanga. Ezinyangeni eziyishumi neqembu labanye abantu abasha abayi-10, ngazithola ngiqeda umsebenzi wokuvuselela umfula e-Oregon, ngisebenza njengomfundisi wezemvelo ezintabeni zaseSierra Nevada, ngisiza ekunakekeleni nasekusebenzeni kwepaki yesiFunda saseSan Diego, nokudala inhlekelele. uhlelo lokulungiselela lwenhlangano engenzi nzuzo e-Washington. Inhlanganisela yomsebenzi ovuzayo nezindawo ezimangalisayo ivuselele intshisekelo yami emsebenzini womphakathi futhi yangivumela ukuba ngikhulume ngokongiwa kolwandle ezimweni ezihlukahlukene ezixukwini ezingase zingacabangi ngokujwayelekile ngokongiwa kolwandle njengomthwalo wazo.

NjengoMdidiyeli Wokufunda Wesevisi oqokiwe wethimba lami le-AmeriCorps, ngiphinde ngahlela ukuvakashela amamnyuziyamu esayensi anemibukiso ephathelene nemvelo yasolwandle kanye nokubukwa okuhleliwe nezingxoxo zamadokhumentari, okuhlanganisa i-End of the Line, ifilimu engaqala ukuyibuka njengengxenye yomsebenzi wami I-Ocean Foundation. Ngadlulisela incwadi ethi Four Fish kozakwethu beqembu, futhi ngasebenza ngokubaluleka kwempilo yolwandle ezinsukwini zethu zokusebenza zase-Oregon kanye nomsebenzi wokufundisa ngemvelo esiwenza ezintabeni zaseSierra Nevada. Nakuba ngokwengxenye enkulu, imisebenzi yami eyinhloko yayingahlanganisi ukukhuthaza ukongiwa kolwandle, ngakuthola kulula ukuhlanganisa nomsebenzi wami, futhi ngathola izethameli engangizihlosile zamukela futhi zinesithakazelo.

Ngemva kokuchitha unyaka ngingekho eMid-Atlantic, nganquma ukubuyela endaweni ukuze ngibhalisele olunye uhlelo lwe-AmeriCorps. Iphethwe uMnyango Wezemvelo waseMaryland, iMaryland Conservation Corps inikeza intsha enezizinda ezihlukene ithuba lokusebenza eMaryland State Park izinyanga eziyishumi. Emisebenzini eminingi amalungu e-Maryland Conservation Corps ayiqedayo, umsebenzi wokubuyisela e-Chesapeake Bay kanye nomsebenzi wezemfundo uvame ukubhekwa njengento evelele. Kusukela ekutshalweni kwe-bay grass ne-Baltimore National Aquarium kuya ezinhlelweni ezihamba phambili emlandweni wendawo yasolwandle endaweni, i-Maryland Conservation Corps yangivumela ukuba ngifunde kanye nokufundisa umphakathi ngokubaluleka kwendawo yasolwandle empilweni, ekuchumeni, nasekuchumeni. injabulo yeMarylanders. Nakuba umsebenzi wami wawungagxili kuphela ekongiweni olwandle, ngathola ukuthi isikhundla sami sanginika inkundla enhle kakhulu yokumela ukuvikelwa kwemithombo yesizwe yasogwini.

Ngisenezinsuku lapho ngisalangazelela ukuphinde ngivakashele iphupho lami ngiseyingane lokuba isazi sezinto eziphilayo zasolwandle, kodwa manje sengiyabona ukuthi asikho isidingo sokuba ngisize ekulondolozeni ulwandle. Isikhathi sami ne-Ocean Foundation sangisiza ngabona ukuthi ukukhulumela ulwandle, ngisho nalapho izingxoxo ezinjalo zingokwethukela noma zakha ingxenye yomsebenzi wami, kungcono kakhulu kunokuvumela amathuba anjalo adlule. Ukungena e-The Ocean Foundation kunginikeze amathuluzi okuba ummeli wolwandle kuzo zonke izici zempilo yami, futhi ngiyazi ukuthi umuzwa wokumangala engiwutholayo lapho ngihlola ugu olusha noma ngifunda mayelana nokutholwa kwakamuva kolwandle kuzongigcina ngilwela amanzi omhlaba wethu iminyaka ezayo.

UKate Maude wasebenza njenge-TOF research intern ngo-2009 nango-2010, futhi waphothula e-The George Washington University ngoMeyi 2010 ngeziqu ze-Environmental Studies ne-Geography. Ngemuva kokuphothula iziqu, uchithe iminyaka emibili eyilungu le-AmeriCorps ogwini oluseNtshonalanga naseMaryland. Usanda kubuya emsebenzini wezinyanga ezintathu njengesisebenzi sokuzithandela emapulazini aphilayo eNew Zealand, futhi njengamanje uhlala eChicago.