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    March 2019

    Easter Island

    Swim Against Plastic

    World-record swim
    Education
    Beach clean ups
    Organized By:
    logo--plastic-oceans logo--breathe
    Presented By:
    Footprint

    A WORLD-RECORD SWIM AGAINST PLASTIC IS IN THE BOOKS!

    Congratulations to Sarah Ferguson!

    We are so proud to announce that Sarah Ferguson successfully became the first person ever to swim around the entire perimeter of Easter Island. 

    It was an amazing two-week journey that saw Plastic Oceans and Breathe Conservation converge on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to inspire change … gathering an international team representing South Africa, Chile, US, UK, Latvia, Holland, and the local community of the island.

    Together with the local community and sponsors we collaborated on coastal cleanups, education, research, filmmaking, and yes … a human first! Here are the details of Sarah’s record-setting swim:

    The Island

    RAPA NUI - EASTER ISLAND

    Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as the locals call it, is one of the most treasured places on  Earth, valued for its rich history, culture and world-famous Moai statues. As such, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Despite this, and also being one of the most remote inhabited locations in the world, the island is in peril at the hands of plastic pollution, while also facing waste management challenges due to a massive growth in tourism and population that is producing 20 tons of waste per day.

    While engaging with the community in March we were eyewitnesses to this problem during the beach cleanup where we cleaned up 720lbs of plastic of the beach, but also when we visited the waste sorting plant “Orito” where they told us about the growing waste problem that tourism is generating.

    AN ISLAND IN PERIL

    One of the world's
    highest concentrations of microplastics
    ORIGINATING FROM
    Thousands of miles away
    20 tons of waste
    PRODUCED PER DAY
    Caused by
    growing tourism and population

    SARAH FERGUSON

    Through record-breaking swims, her work at Breathe Conservation, and now as an Ambassador for Plastic Oceans International, Sarah Ferguson is on a mission to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

    In March 2019 we were part of one of Sarah´s first world-record swim, in Rapa Nui. Here she swam the entire perimeter of the island, a human first – she also swam 5 hours off of her expected time! Soon we will publish a personal account of the swim by her coach, John McCarthy.

    THE EASTER ISLAND SWIM AGAINST PLASTIC IS

    40 miles
    around the perimeter of easter island
    19 hours
    In cold water and dangerous currents
    2 passionate non‑profits
    Creating a wave of change
    1 great cause
    to raise awareness about plastic pollution
    and
    1 amazing woman

    Eating Up Easter

    Rapa Nui – Easter Island Premiere

    Friday, March 15 • Toki Rapa Nui • Time: 7:30pm

    We presented a free community screening of Eating Up Easter, which is a new feature-length documentary produced in association with Plastic Oceans International.  A crowd of over 120 people were received by a tradicional Rapa Nui dance, live music and words of welcome by our Chile Executive Director Mark Minneboo, Enrique Icka the founder of the Toki music school and the film´s Director Sergio M. Rapu, who was born on the island.

    In the film Sergio crafts a powerful story, told to his newborn son, that captures the complexities of balancing local authenticity with the commercial demands of modern globalization. It demonstrates that sustainability is not only ecological, but also cultural.

     

    WATCH TRAILER BELOW

    #Swim Against Plastic
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