Today’s my birthday. I have a wish…

This year I have a special birthday wish I hope you will consider.

What began a year ago as a deeply personal quest to celebrate my
50th birthday and honor the memory of my father (who shared his
love of the ocean with me but was lost at sea just before his 50th
birthday) has evolved into something much more. Since January I’ve
been on the road constantly, traveling more than 50,000 miles so
far this year. Nearly 34,000 of those miles have led me to 27
schools in 12 states, delivering 36 speeches to 10,000 students
about the wonders of the ocean and the threats it faces.

As I’ve listened to students’ cheers, applause and even shrieks
during my presentations, fulfilled their requests – to my amazement
– for my autograph, or spoken with them individually and looked
into their wide, excited eyes, it’s become clear I’ve tapped into
an enormous, pent-up passion, fascination and love of the oceans
that I must admit I had underestimated. Such enthusiasm is
incredibly strong even among the thousands of students I’ve visited
that have never seen an ocean.

I’ve had similar responses from the teachers (well, except for the
shrieks), some of whom were furiously scribbling notes as I spoke,
later telling me how much of what I presented they never knew
themselves and that they intended to incorporate it into their
curriculum. I’ve met some incredible teachers and seen firsthand
their extraordinary achievements and selfless dedication to
bringing the gift of a strong science education to their students.

There is an incredible thirst among today’s students for clues to
the mysteries of the oceans, how those blue waters affect their
lives and vice versa, and what exciting, rewarding careers await
them in science and especially, marine science. Unfortunately, few
of these children are getting … get from their standard
curriculum. I’ve been humbled as well by seeing that there are
legions of natural allies for the cause of ocean conservation out
there, students and teachers alike eagerly asking what they can do
to help.

Now a project of The Ocean Foundation, Ocean Doctor’s “50 Years –
50 States – 50 Speeches Expedition” takes me back to my roots as a
marine science teacher and I still find it every bit as fulfilling
to watch young eyes widen, perspectives change and horizons broaden
when the students I visit with learn about the sea and its
mysteries. But it’s also gratifying to realize that a 50-year-old
(oops, now 51) ocean doctor is capable of learning so much from the
students and teachers he encounters, and his 51-year-old heart
capable of being deeply moved by the faces, lives and stories he
encounters on his journey.

I am eager to return to the road and visit the remaining 38 states,
but have had to temporarily suspend the expedition until I can
raise the necessary funds. As you can imagine, it’s been a
difficult year for fundraising! Please help me continue this unique
and important journey of discovery and education, without further
interruption. Your donation to the Ocean Foundation’s “50 Years –
50 States – 50 Speeches Expedition” fund is fully tax-deductable
and will ensure that I can continue to bring the awe and wonder of
the ocean to students across the country, and in turn, bring their
stories to you and to policymakers in Washington, DC. Please help
me continue to find the ocean in all of US.

Three Easy Ways to Donate:

1. Facebook:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/birthdays/177764?m=e0bc6388

2. The Ocean Foundation’s Secure Donation Page: Specify “Ocean
Doctor’s 50 Years-50 States-50 Speeches Expedition Fund”
https://www.oceanfdn.org/index.php?ht=d/MakeDonation/pid/1235/

3. Send A Check By Mail:

The Ocean Foundation
1990 M Street, N.W., Suite 250
Washington, D.C. 20036

Learn more about the Expedition:
https://oceandoctor.org/50-states-expedition/about/

Thank you!!

…David

David E. Guggenheim, Ph.D. the “Ocean Doctor”
President, 1planet1ocean – A project of The Ocean Foundation.
Senior Fellow, The Ocean Foundation

Web Site: http://www.1planet1ocean.org
Ocean Doctor’s Blog: http://www.OceanDoctor.org

This is a special ExpeditionDispatch from 1planet1ocean, a project
of The Ocean Foundation: http://www.TheOceanFoundation.org