Description    

The JSA is in collaboration with Sailors for the Sea Powered by Oceana, to form Ocean Advocates @JSA of LIS, an interdisciplinary team of climate stewards leading the charge to reduce our collective environmental impact.

Ocean Advocates @JSA of LIS is open to anyone and everyone. Sailors, instructors, parents, sailing directors — the bigger the variety, the bigger the impact. No previous experience with sustainability is required.

As part of the team, Ocean Advocates will have access to resources, ideas in the form of modules and support that will help them educate others, be a voice in their community and ultimately bring about change at their junior sailing program or in their region. Guided by a JSA committee and Sailors for the Sea, they will learn everything they need to know to help junior sailing programs become environmentally responsible. Though levels of participation can certainly vary, Ocean Advocates will become leaders in the fight for ocean health.

The Ocean Advocates program is adapted from Sailors for the Sea’s Clean Regattas Certification, the world’s leading sustainability certification for all on-the-water, near-the-water and water-loving events. Since 2006, over 2,600 events have shown their commitments to sustainability by hosting Clean Regattas, reaching over 700,000 sailors and attendees in over 40 countries.

Mission

At the JSA of LIS, we’ve made it our mission to support junior sailors and help them develop a life-long love of the sport, while encouraging an appreciation and respect for the marine environment.The Ocean Advocates @JSA of LIS program endeavors to expand this commitment to junior sailing programs throughout Long Island Sound, provide resources and inspiration to educate our communities, and take steps towards a sustainable future through a connection with the sport we love, sailing. 

Ocean Advocates Modules 

Each week our Ocean Advocates will be presenting a new challenge with different ways to become more mindful of our impact on the ocean. These weekly updates will be posted to our Instagram (@JSAofLIS), Twitter and Facebook account. Click on the modules to read more: 

Module 1 : Single-use Plastics
Encouraging someone to invest in eliminating single-use plastics is not easy. Your club’s management team might be thinking, “but plastic is cheaper,” or “we’ve been doing it this way for years,” or “how can one yacht club’s plastic usage actually make a difference?”

Module 2: Managing Waste Responsibly
We leave a lot of waste in our wake. (Pun intended for us sailors.) We’re not talking about littering; we’re talking about the fact that it’s almost impossible to go through a day without leaving a trace on our environment. We’ll dig into it more… 

Module 3: Green Boating
Green Boating looks different depending on which boat you’re on. Are you a dinghy sailor? An instructor? A cruiser? Depending on what category you fall under, there are different ways to prevent pollution, protect wildlife, spread the use of eco-friendly products, and reduce your overall impact….. 

Module 4 : Environmental Stewardship
Environmental stewardship is harnessing all the resources that you have at your disposal to make a difference, whether big or small. And for us sailors, we have a lot more at our fingertips than we might realize…  

Module 5: Final Week
As the JSA’s summer comes to an end, we’ll leave you with one last module: involving your community. Over the course of the summer, we’ve given you the tools you need to design clean regattas, practice green boating concepts and become stewards of the ocean….

Want to get involved? 
Email oceanadvocates@jsalis.org with your interest. We look forward to hearing from you!

Weekly Modules