Deepening Our Connection with Nature: A Focus on Oceans and Waterways with Gabe Hearnshaw

Gabe Hearnshaw is a distinguished nature and conservation photographer with a specific affinity for the vast expanses of our oceans. A firm believer in the transformative power of the natural world, Gabe has dedicated the last few years to the exploration and preservation of our marine environments.

He is a seasoned photographer, a proficient free diver, a PADI-certified scuba diver, and a newly trained snorkelling instructor. Inspired by Ocean Ambassador Cal Major's SUP adventures, Gabe has recently ventured into the realm of paddleboarding, further enhancing his relationship with the world's waterways.

Gabe's passion transcends the boundaries of exploration and conservation; he is also deeply committed to supporting individuals in their mental health journey. His past role as an on-call firefighter, where he served as a TRiM practitioner, has given him firsthand insight into the importance of mental well-being. Now, he uses his experiences as an Ambassador for Seaful Charity, using his mesmerising underwater photography as a therapeutic tool for managing his mental health and as a way for others to establish a deep connection with water.

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Through Seaful, Gabe provides workshops designed to introduce participants to the power of underwater photography. He creates a space for personal growth and exploration and fosters a greater appreciation for our crucial water ecosystems. By sharing his passion for the oceans, Gabe continues to inspire us all to forge a stronger bond with the natural world around us.

You can see some of Gabe’s work on the Seaful Instagram here and also we are featuring one of his images here.

Follow Gabe on Instagram: @Gabehearnshawnature

Ocean Ambassadors Youngest Members, Betsey & Edith.

We, Betsey and Edith Gostling aged 6 and 3 years old are sisters.

Our favourite hobby is fossil hunting.

We love and learn about Dinosaurs and Ammonites when we go to the seaside with our Daddy.

This is teaching us a lot about the sea and all its creatures, because many of these animals lived under or by the Oceans and teach us about climates a long time ago . We are now going to Lyme Regis to hunt for more.

We are pleased to be Ocean Ambassador Friends

A note of respect for death of Dag Pike, Maritime Adventurer Navigator for Richard Branson

At the recent news of Dag Pike passing away, Felix Appelbe expresses a note of respect for such an accomplished maritime navigator, consultant, powerboat racer, and author:

“Although speed boats are not our thing, at least he had courage and daring giving us all inspiration to venture beyond our comfort zone, like others we are fortunate to know and who are the new adventurers .”

The Maritime Journal says:

We have been informed by his family that Dag passed away in hospital on Saturday 28th May 2021, after a sudden illness.

A perfect example of the maxim: ‘if you love your job it never feels like work’, Dag was still ‘working’ at age 88 in an area he adored, with copy still due for MJ and his latest book ‘Work and Patrol Boats’, due to be published by Mercator Media, nearing completion.

Dag Pike 1933-2021

Maritime Journal

Stunning traditional cairn hand built by Ocean Ambassador Henry Fletcher

A traditional stone structure, known as a cairn, has been crafted on a Suffolk beach.  An important outdoor focal point with all the pathos of its impermanence.

Ocean Ambassador Henry Fletcher from Thorpeness has crafted one of the structures on the village's beach using local coralline crag stone. 

Henry takes inspiration from Julie Brook’s ‘Fire Stacks’, also his work in Iceland, part of which has included building cairns with groups of volunteers.

"I wasn't quite sure what I was going to build when I started building it but I had the idea of it being a space where people could have conversations about their relationships with the sea and their sense of place.”

"It has become that in a strange way.”

"When I've been building it, I've had a lot of conversations with people walking past.”

"It was a beautiful opportunity to meet local people."

I’ve had conversations with many people on the beach about geology, similar structures elsewhere in the world, walking and the coastline and its precarious future—both immediately from the threat of energy projects and in the long-term from our changing climate.

What we can find out about the corals that filled our shores thousands of years ago?

Do those corals help us in our quest to save corals today? A historical dimension that we should weave into teaching and curricula.

"The impermanence of it was something I definitely intended to incorporate into it,"

"I look forward to that moment when it is reclaimed."

The structure is in no way permanent and will eventually fall back into the sea. 

You can read more about it in the following articles:

East Anglian Daily Times

Henryjf.xyz

You can read about Henry’s project in Iceland and cairns, here.

Photos courtesy of Anna Lipska Images

Rewilding land, sea and people

Last week AgRewild in association with Ocean Ambassadors launched their first ever, live, online event and it was a great success! 

Entitled ‘Rewilding Land, Sea and People’, the webinar looked at rewilding from a number of different angles.  

AgRewild’s Sean McCormack hosted the event and introduced the conversation by discussing the rewilding movement and the importance of biodiversity.  

Sean was joined by long time Ocean Ambassador friend Cal Major, founder of Paddle Against Plastic, who talked about the issues facing biodiversity in our oceans and what we, as individuals and community groups, can do to get involved. 

We also heard from Felix Appelbe, who as you may know is the founder of Ocean Ambassadors, as well as farmer and conservationist. Felix spoke about how rewilding and farming can come together and what rewilding means to him. We premiered a short film, ‘Rewilding Woodcock’, featuring Felix at his farm, where he talks beautifully about nature and the importance of living in harmony with the natural world.  

So many of you came along to the evening and made it truly engaging and entertaining, thank you so much for your interest and your enthusiasm. We hope many more of you will be able to now watch and enjoy the recording!