Episode 25: Protecting Coastal Ecosystems in Panama

Meet Amy Harff, she is a Force of Nature consultant, climate researcher and artist. She was recently selected to be a Youth Ambassador for the UN Ocean Decade, where she led workshops and gave speeches to over 2,000 participants aboard the Peace Boat. In August 2023, she completed the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to conduct one year of independent research on how creativity can catalyze climate and environmental action. For her research, she spoke and worked with over 350 scientists, community leaders, academics, CEOs and artists to see how creativity and storytelling can be tools for change. Amy has been an art judge for Bow Seat Ocean Awareness and Chas also spoken at Goldsmiths’ Art and Ecology Conference and at NYC Climate Week. She is currently creating an illustrated book from personal interviews with 25 international female climate leaders including: Christiana Figueres, Dr. Kim Cobb, Xiye Bastida, Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner and Melati Wijsen. Her creative pursuits include: facilitating community murals in Zambia, New Zealand and Indonesia, creating costumes from trash for Taiwan’s Dream Community festival, and drawing large illustrations about projected climate impacts in her community. Together we dive into the importance of creative tools to drive the circular economy, protect our oceans and drive climate action. Connect with Amy Insta: @amyspencerart www.amyspencerharff.com Be sure to also follow @ecovybz on all socials !

Continue with the Youth for The SDG's Series in partnership with Peace Boat US for the UN Ocean Decade of Science meet our next youth scholar Rigoberto Amaya! Rigoberto is a third culture individual born in the countryside of Panama who moved to Southeast Asia at the age of thirteen to complete his middle and high school studies. Through his experience abroad, he developed a passion for cross-cultural exchange and recognized the disparities in access to quality air, water and natural resources. Rigo is a firm believer that problems are best tackled through a multi-perspective approach and that current global issues need international collaboration and science-based actions in order to generate change. With a background in Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering focused on sustainability and process efficiency, Rigoberto has experience working in the energy sector at the regulatory level advancing the Energy Transition Agenda. He believes individuals must be lifelong learners and open-minded to be able to come together and mitigate the climate crisis. In his free time, you can find him playing sports, video and board games, as well as enjoying nature through hikes or scuba diving trips. Together we explore SDG 7, the energy transition in Panama, the role of youth in achieving SDG 7 and the youth for the SDG's Program. If you would like to connect with Rigo be sure to follow him on Instagram LinkedIn

Welcome to season 5 which is the Youth for the SDG’s special edition series in partnership with Peace Boat US dedicated towards the UN Ocean Decade of Science.  The Youth for the SDGs program is a unique experiential learning and capacity-building program for young activists and scholars engaged in SDG-related initiatives from the US and worldwide. Youth Programs take place onboard voyages conducted by Peace Boat, travelling on a large passenger ship that sails regionally and globally running education and advocacy programs focusing on nuclear disarmament, climate action, and sustainability, with partner organizations and communities around the world. Youth for the SDGs programs average two weeks in length where participants visit three to five countries and all programs include Onboard activities such as presentations, workshops, cultural activities and port activities where we participate in specialised experiential study programs with NGOs, academic institutions, governmental entities, and communities working to address SDG-related issues such as climate change and sustainable development. To kick things off meet Kneyone Murray, an Entrepreneur, Renewable Energy Consultant, and self-taught Abstract Artist from the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He holds a Master of Science in Renewable Energy Technology from The University of The West Indies with a focus on the implementation of a biodigester in the educational system to promote waste management. He is also the founder of KneyzusEnergy a company focused on the energy transition in SIDS,  a Global Ambassador for Blue Planet Alliance, a young ocean leader with Sustainable Ocean Alliance and now a youth for the SDG’s scholar.  Additionally, Kneyone had the opportunity to participate in the UN Water Conference in New York and The Our Ocean Conference in Panama sharing a panel as the only youth with industry experts at the closing plenary. Presently he is completing a program on Project Management in Canada. His research is focused on sargassum seaweed and developing innovative solutions using bioenergy to reduce its negative impacts in the Caribbean.  Together we dive into his environmental journey, the program and his future plans! To connect with Kneyone follow him on Instagram Facebook Linkedin If you enjoyed the episode be sure to give the ecovybz podcast some love with a 5-star rating and follow us @ecovybz on all platforms.

Meet Saeed Hamid a Guyanese attorney-at-law with a keen interest in maritime law, environmental law, and human rights law. Driven by his experiences in the Caribbean region, he is constantly pursuing opportunities to contribute to the development of policies and legislation which target social and environmental issues. Saeed holds a Master of Laws from the University of Aberdeen, where he completed courses on international law, politics, environmental regulation, and human rights. Following private practice, Hamid served at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Guyana for two years, during which he participated in several national and international conferences and policy dialogues on numerous environmental matters, including Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). He is currently the international plastics fellow at New York University's Guarini Center and Plastics Advisor to the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the plastics pollution issues plaguing Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and discuss the upcoming sessions on the road to a global plastics treaty. For more on Saeed be sure to follow him on Instagram and check out the additional resources below. 1. Recording of SIDS Talk Plastics: Part 1: Remediation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9glU9E7-Cdo&t=1087s2. Guarini Center's research on SIDS and Plastic pollution: https://guarinicenter.org/issues/oceans/plastics/ 3. Paper on States Submissions ahead of INC-2: https://guarinicenter.org/document/survey-of-state-inc-2-submissions/ As always follow @ecovybz on all socials.

Meet Javier Pardo Díaz is a thesis student at the Biology School with an orientation in Marine Biology and Limnology at the University of Panama. He is currently working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute on long-term projects on water quality monitoring and mangrove restoration in the Bay of Panama. Since the beginning of his career, he has been part of different NGOs such as Sustainable Ocean Alliance Panama, Reef 2 Reef Foundation, and the Ghost Net Removal project with the Panama Aquatic Resources Authority, among others, and is an active volunteer for many other foundations that they seek a more sustainable future for all. Javier was one of the 77 young people selected to participate in the Youth Leadership Summit and the Our Ocean 2023 conference, he also participated as a delegate to CITES COP 19 in 2022, both held in the Republic of Panama. In addition to being part of research projects, he works as an underwater cameraman focused on environmental education, educating the civil community, young students, children, and adults. In this Episode, Javier and I take a deep dive into the importance of coastal ecosystems in Panama and some of the issues the country faces when it comes to marine conservation. If you are interested in learning more about Javier be sure to follow him on Instagram. Be sure to also follow @ecovybz on all platforms and if you would like to be featured on the podcast shoot me an email [email protected] and lets create some magic!

Meet Bodhi Patil! Bodhi is a 19-year-old ocean climate solutionist passionate about the interconnection between Ocean Health and Human Health (OHHH). As the founder of Inner Light and co-creator of @oceanuprise, Bodhi believes in the power that young people have to create impact at scale. He is a second-year student in the Bachelor of Arts and  Masters of Management program at the University of British Columbia studying oceans, environmental action, and business. He co-founded Sea Dragon Studios (SDS), creative arts and digital media platform supporting youth-led, ocean-climate action and launched One World Breath. With a team of 4 fellow young impact makers, he co-won the UN Oceans Conference Youth & Innovation Forum with project INVASEA - Innovating with Invasive Species. Along with the 130 other incredible delegates of the forum, he is especially recognized by the United Nations as an esteemed ocean activist. As an avid surfer, diver, kelp-lover, marine science nerd, ocean-climate solutionist, and hopeful realist, he loves mother nature deeply and truly believes that like the ocean, we are powerful creators that can make waves of positive impact. In this episode, we dive into several things  His Marine Conservation Journey Key Ocean and Climate takeaways from COP27  The power of Kelp  UN Ocean Conference  Goals and Aspirations  Advice  To learn more about Bodhi check out his linktree and be sure to connect with him!  As always be sure to follow @ecovybz on all platforms and I shall see you at the next one! 

Originally from the Dominican Republic, Andrés Bisonó León is a ClimateTech entrepreneur working at the intersection of social impact and Climate Action. Andres holds a dual major in Mechanical Engineering and Finance from Drexel University. Social and environmental impact has always been part of Andres' life endeavours. Since 2018, Andres has been leading SOS Carbon Inc. Sargassum Ocean Sequestration of Carbon (SOS Carbon) which is a spin-off company from the Mechanical Engineering department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SOS Carbon is focused on scaling its unique patented technologies to turn the sargassum seaweed invasions problem into an economical natural ocean carbon sequestering opportunity. As a member of the MIT Sloan School of Management and Legatum Fellow, Andres’ motivation is his capacity to transform society and the environment for a better tomorrow. SOS Carbon is committed to solving one of the Caribbean's most threatening problems, generating employment and value chains to the region, and fight climate change for a global impact. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the Sargassum invasion occurring in the Caribbean and its impacts in the region whilst also discussing the work of SOS Carbon in the Dominican Republic. Feel free to connect with SOS Carbon on Instagram or connect with Andres on Linkedin.  For more great content be sure to also following @EcoVybz on all platforms! 

In this episode I chat with Shreya K.C., a passionate climate justice activist from Nepal. Being an active member of YOUNGO and also the Contact Person for the NDCs working group, she has worked with a diverse group of young people across the world to champion the meaningful participation of young people in decision-making spaces. She is also the climate change champion of UNICEF South Asia and a Campaign Coordinator of Mock COP. Shreya has received numerous awards for her work including 'Youth of the Year' award. She was also a part of the national delegation of Nepal to COP26 and SB56. Her story has been featured in two books "Stone Soup for a Sustainable World" and "50 Girls Saving Our Planet". Together we discuss the impacts of climate change in Nepal, meaningful youth engagement in the climate space and what it takes to be a youth leader on their country's delegation at climate change conferences. To learn more about Shreya connect with her on Instagram , Facebook  Twitter and LinkedIn be sure to also follow @ecovybz on all socials! 

In this episode I chat with my colleague and friend Mark Haver! After graduating from Florida Southern College in May 2020, Mark became a policy and communications consultant for a start-up government and public affairs firm for ocean and environmental clients. Simultaneously, he launched Sustainable Ocean Alliance's inaugural Youth Policy Advisory Council. Mark has led youth engagement in national and international campaigns for ocean and climate issues, such as for the Global Blue New Deal, a youth-led, stakeholder-driven ocean and climate policy framework, and for a deep seabed mining moratorium. He has launched his own environmental action consulting firm, BlueGreen Generation. His clients include Sustainable Ocean Alliance as their North American Regional Representative and Global Policy Advisor and Global Fashion Exchange, as the founder and brand ambassador of Swap For Your Life to grow the sustainable fashion exchange movement in the global LGBTQ+ community. Together we discuss the challenges of youth advocacy work, the climate crisis and his passion for sustainable fashion! To learn more about mark follow him on social media @oceanswarrior and be sure to also follow @ecovybz to keep up to date with all things podcast related! 

Welcome to Season 3! In this episode, I chat with Carlos Perez Murcia aka Profe Tiburon, a marine biologist and scuba instructor from Bogotá, Colombia. He is a passionate shark scientist who focuses on ocean literacy and policy. These are his favorite tools to scale-up collective actions that allow us to live a healthy future. Profe Tiburón is now the new President of Sustainable Ocean Alliance hub for Colombia (SOA Colombia), and environmental educator for Fundación Mundo Azul, Guatemala, and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), United States. To kick off this season Carlos and I chat about the need to use the arts to save our ocean, the importance of spreading ocean literacy to children, and the need for countries to have an ocean ministry to allow for organised and centralised governance of our oceans. Feel free to follow Carlos on social media @profetiburon on Instagram and myself @ecovybz on all social media platforms!