Fourth grade students from Red Hook, Brooklyn imagined what it would be like to actually be a marine creature living in waters filled with toxic and polluting, human-caused, plastic marine litter. They became the “voices” of marine creatures, writing poignant letters from the eyes of these endangered creatures. Their letters are addressed to all of us, ”dear humans.”
These young environmental leaders want to be sure that we, the “dear humans,” are aware of the dire consequences resulting from our daily decisions to use single-use plastics.
More than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year and 80% of this plastic debris comes from land-based sources.
“Dear humans, I’m a grouper. Guess what? I almost died yesterday because of the trash you guys throw on the streets.”
“Even though you guys don’t see it, we see it every day.”
“Those microplastic things are everywhere in the ocean. All my friends are eating it, even my plankton friends.”
“You humans might not think that it hurts you, but it does. And it hurts us.”
“Can you humans simply use less plastic?”
“Dear humans, say “NO” to single-use plastics!”
As part of Cafeteria Culture’s school program, Community Arts+Media for Trash Free Waters, 4th grade students from PS15 in Red Hook Brooklyn have been collecting street and beach litter data and studying how human-caused plastic litter make it way into our ocean and endangers marine wildlife. They have been testing different methods of getting their important message out to local and global communities. From leading reusable bag giveaways to designing trash free water awareness banners that are hungs on the streets of their neighborhood, these 4th graders are making a difference.
Dear humans, protect our oceans.
Dear humans, you are the cause of this marine plastic litter plight and only YOU can stop it!
Visit cafeteriaculture.org to learn more about marine pollution, Trash Free Waters, and to take action!
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“Dear Humans” was created by students from Ms. Donahue and Ms. Barzyz’s 4th grade class at PS 15 Patrick F. Daly in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City in partnership with the amazing PS15 teachers and staff.
This video was made as a part of Cafeteria Culture’s Community Arts+Media for Trash Free Waters school program, which was made possible by a New York/New Jersey Aquatic Trash Prevention Program 2016 grant - awarded by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 and New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC).
Additional support for this program came from Patagonia, Fund for the City of New York, and generous individual donors.
Special thanks to: New York City Department of Education; New York City Department of Environmental Protection; and Gateway National Park Recreation Area, National Park Service.
And special thanks to Focus Camera: youtube.com/watch?v=3KFAb0grJGc&feature=youtu.be,
youtube.com/watch?v=AidECgn1sM0&feature=youtu.be
