Senior Sequence

OpenOceans Global

One of our USP Senior Sequence Mentors, Carl Nettleton, has founded a non-profit called OpenOceans Global. Several possible projects are listed on our Senior Sequence website. The organization was just named an "Environmental Champion" by the Sempra Energy Foundation. The award included a $50,000 grant to continue its work its work in the Tijuana River Valley (http://www.tjriverteam.org) See background below. The non-profit is also competing for an additional $50,000 through Sempra and KFMB-TV's "San Diego's Choice Awards for Environmental Stewardship." The additional $50,000 will be awarded to the organization that receives the most votes on KFMB's web site. People must vote at http://tiny.cc/uO0Os by October 29.

First, Carl asked me to forward this note to you. He would like you to please consider voting for OpenOceans Global personally. Carl is a tireless and talented advocate for sustainability. Review what he is doing below and particiapte in the voting process if you can.

Second, Carl has asked if any of you would be interested in putting together a viral marketing team to help OpenOceans Global win the additional $50,000 between now and Oct. 29. finally, OpenOceans Global has offered some good projects that you could be involved with.

As background, OpenOceans Global has co-chaired the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team (http://www.tjriverteam.org) in partnership with the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, an ongoing collaboration of more than 30 federal, state, and local agencies from both the U.S. and Mexico working to cleanup decades of trash buried in the Tijuana River Valley and stopping the many tons of trash that come into the valley each year, some of which would otherwise reach the ocean (see photos at: http://tjriverteam.org/Photo_Galleries.php) . The first grant will be primarily used to map the valley in a way that will allow all participants to visualize the complexity of the issue and the options that will lead to success. The long-term goal of OpenOceans Global is to create an ocean community focused developing an enduring institution that will aggregate the world's ocean data and creatively present it online using GIS and other advanced visualization technologies. This grant opportunity is an important step in the organization's evolution.

Please consider helping OpenOceans Global obtain the additional funding by voting for before the October 29 deadline (http://tiny.cc/uO0Os) and help this viral campaign by asking others to do the same.