I m very excited and honored to tell you just how. much Ocean Conservancy admires and values the work. you do. Long before I ever became president of

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1 Message from Vikki Spruill, President I m very excited and honored to tell you just how much Ocean Conservancy admires and values the work you do. Long before I ever became president of Ocean Conservancy, I knew of the ICC and of your work through my experiences at SeaWeb and COMPASS, two organizations that aim to raise awareness of important ocean conservation issues. In fact, many people on the outside first become familiar with Ocean Conservancy through the ICC. That is a testament to you, really to your dedication, your hard work and your commitment. Ocean Conservancy couldn t do this without you. Each one of you should be extremely proud of what you do. Organizing volunteers can sometimes be a difficult job, but as you know it is also among the

2 most rewarding things one person can do. I think you deserve a round of applause. I would also like to take a moment to thank our sponsors whom I consider our partners -- for supporting us year after year in such a meaningful and generous way. None of our work would be possible if they didn t step to the plate and take such a strong and vocal stand against marine debris. I want to extend our deep appreciation to them. In my career, I ve had the opportunity to travel some. Through my travels I ve seen horrific examples of marine debris. The worst was probably in Novorosisk, Russia, where you couldn t even see the sand on entire stretches of beach because it was covered in debris. I m also lucky to spend time on Nantucket a remote island where I am almost equally stunned by the things I see on my

3 morning walks along supposedly desolate beaches. Somehow whether it s Novorosisk or Nantucket -- it all seems to end up in the ocean. From my perspective, the ICC is the cornerstone of Ocean Conservancy s effort to raise awareness about the seriousness of marine debris and to inspire people to make a difference for the ocean through our programs. The ICC is the program for all those people I meet who ask, Marine conservation is such an important cause, but I live 300 miles from the ocean, what can I do to help? And, I say, if you re in the heartland somewhere, removing debris from a river, it makes a difference in the ocean. That river may lead to another, that leads to another, and so on. Soon, a piece of debris in Oklahoma has made its way into the Gulf of Mexico. The ICC matters regardless of where you are located physically. The ICC ties everyone to the ocean. And, that is a big and powerful idea.

4 At Ocean Conservancy, we have four big ideas four strategic priorities. They are: to establish sustainable fishing, to protect marine wildlife, to preserve special places in the ocean (like marine reserves) and, last but not least, to reform the way the government manages our ocean. You may be asking, Where does marine debris fall in those four? The simple answer is: it s everywhere. Most obviously it s in our wildlife effort - marine debris is very detrimental to fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and habitats like coral reefs. But, marine debris is also a direct result of overfishing, as derelict fishing gear washes up on shore or entangles helpless animals. Certainly, marine debris is in our special places work as our goal is to set aside and preserve certain locations in as near pristine condition as possible. This of course is very clearly represented in the Northwest

5 Hawaiian Islands Archipelago, where hundreds if not thousands of miles from the nearest civilization, you can still find debris. Lastly, marine debris must be part of our effort to reform government. Last year, we scored a huge victory in this very area when the US Congress passed the Marine Debris Bill, in which Ocean Conservancy was a key player. The bill created a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for the prevention and removal of marine debris and strengthened the Coast Guard s enforcement efforts. Our four priorities are really our strategies. They provide the larger vision of what we want to accomplish. The ICC, then, is a powerful tool that makes the strategy a reality. As tactics go, it doesn t get much bigger than the ICC. 350,000 volunteers, 70 countries, 7 million pounds of debris last year alone, As one who comes from a social marketing background this is the kind of

6 program we really love. And, it s my short-term vision to see the ICC grow and get stronger, so that, ultimately, we put ourselves out of business by ending marine debris. Literally, on its surface, the ICC is about removing marine debris and collecting data on what has been picked up. But the real impact is felt much more deeply. I see an undercurrent emerging that is shaping a larger movement for a healthier ocean and instilling in all who participate and even some who don t the understanding that it takes year-round effort, not just a single day, to truly end marine debris. Likewise, because the ICC draws so many people from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe, the cleanup is an unmatched communication tool to advance important marine debris issues and broader ocean conservation issues to the world. Our ocean is in trouble and this is one powerful way to show it!

7 And that is where you come in. At Ocean Conservancy, we have witnessed your work, we know how hard it really is and we appreciate your contributions. I m personally in awe of what you do. You are the foundation for this work. You have your fingers on the pulse of the 350,000 volunteers around the globe. Think of it, 350,000 people turn up on beaches and lakes and river each year because of what you do. It s amazing. Most of you know that I have initiated some changes at Ocean Conservancy. Ocean Conservancy. Kate McGoldrick has moved on to new opportunities and we wish her the very best and thank her for her work on our behalf. I do want you to know that I personally believe in the ICC, our board believes in the ICC and everyone at Ocean Conservancy believes in this program. We

8 are behind it 110%. We at Ocean Conservancy are looking ahead to where the program is going next. You probably have questions and maybe a few concerns. I hope we can address them here this week. With that said, I want to introduce well, reintroduce, really someone I believe you all know very well. And, if you don t know her personally, you certainly know of her. Her reputation, and her spirit, speak for themselves. Seba Sheavly. Though Seba moved on from Ocean Conservancy almost two years ago, she never really left the cause of marine debris. Seba is one of this country s foremost authorities on the sources, effects and solutions to the problem of marine debris in our waters. I ve asked Seba to step back into the ICC picture at Ocean Conservancy to strengthen our

9 current efforts. I hope that you share my excitement that Seba agreed to share her expertise with us and I know this year will be a tremendous success because she is on the scene in such a visible and proactive way. I felt that Seba s reputation and her demonstrated leadership in the field would be key to the near term effort for you and the ICC, and a great stepping-stone for the future of the program. Seba knows the ICC backward and forward. In fact, much of what the ICC is today is directly tied to the work Seba did while she was with Ocean Conservancy. Seba will be leading our program efforts in collaboration with Sonya Besteiro (pronounced: bes- TAY-toh, like potato) our equally well known and loved ICC manager. This core team and others at Ocean Conservancy will be even more effective than ever before and will help guide us to a new level for the ICC.

10 If you know Seba, I encourage you to say, Welcome back. If you don t, I encourage you to get to know her. She is an amazing person and we as a community are fortunate to have her involved going forward. So, with those big picture details in place, the question becomes, Where do we go from here? I have long admired the ICC for its purpose, its reach, and its sheer size. Any way you look at it this is a world-class program. Now, that I m on the inside I have seen some opportunities to strengthen Ocean Conservancy s role and, hopefully, to make your efforts more productive. Ultimately, I hope to expand and strengthen our volunteer networks and attract more coordinators like you so that we can draw more people to our ranks. At the end of the day, this is a powerful partnership and partnerships are based on relationships that I hope we can continue to strengthen here, together.

11 Within the halls of Ocean Conservancy, I ve set in place a new vision of who and what we are and initiated a change in structure that places the ICC where it can become a more powerful communications and outreach vehicle. This will lead to greater awareness of the problem of marine debris, and ocean conservation in general, and of the ICC specifically. I plan to strengthen our ability to connect people with the ocean, regardless of whether they live on the shore, or a thousand miles inland, and make them understand that their connection needs to be more than a one-day event when the ICC rolls around, or a once-a-year when I m on vacation connection. The ICC is a communication tool in which all the symbolism and metaphors are in place to "condition

12 the climate" as I like to call it for change through personal involvement. At a time, when it is easy to feel helpless about what to do in the face of big environmental challenges and considering that eighty percent of marine debris comes from the land we can each make a huge difference. Debris doesn t fall from the sky, it falls from our hands. I want people to follow the trail of litter from hand to sea and to understand how carelessness and indifference on shore leads to ugliness and, sometimes, tragedy in the ocean. Changing their minds, or simply making them more aware of the causes of marine debris, has the potential to profoundly impact this serious problem. ICC is an important initiative, not just because we remove debris from the water, but because of the social impact we are having. The ICC is a great way to engage communities around a shared resource. This is one of Ocean Conservancy s main objectives:

13 to get people to view the ocean as their own and to instill in them a sense of ownership and pride in the well-being of this beautiful resource. As I see it, Ocean Conservancy s role in this effort is to create the framework for the ICC. Our job is to facilitate the power of your work. Building effective partnerships, providing materials and collecting and tabulating the data from around the world and publishing them. One thing we are doing is bolstering our online registration effort with more powerful and easierto-use forms that will allow people from across the globe to learn where they can volunteer and signup. By capturing their attention and redirecting that back to you for your use, we will together build a larger network of people and communicate with them year-round. The overall goal is of course to support you and help you to more easily organize and communicate with volunteers in your area.

14 To do all of this and do it right is a major undertaking for Ocean Conservancy. One look at the annual ICC report, for instance, and you can see that it takes a tremendous amount of effort to compile, analyze and publish that data. But, the effort is well worth it. The annual cleanup report is your validation of a job well done. It helps us raise the profile of what we do among important constituencies. And it generates valuable attention in the media for the ICC and of marine debris and ocean issues in general. Another reason the ICC is so important is its ability to break through boundaries, crossing borders and building a spirit of cooperation between people of all backgrounds. The ICC is something everyone can relate to on a personal level. I hope to build on our successes internationally and Ocean Conservancy is working

15 right now on establishing a number of key partnerships worldwide. Your work has been key in our efforts on Capitol Hill, as well. Our strategy in the US Congress is a key component of our overall marine debris effort. At the end of the day, all our hard work and preparation is for naught if our government doesn t step up to the plate. It is up to them to make real laws with real consequences, and to enforce those laws so they work. As I ve already mentioned, it was very satisfying to see the U.S. Congress pass the Marine Debris Bill last year. In the end, this will help prevent wildlife entanglement and addresses some of the major sources of dangerous marine debris. Of course, when I say that the ICC is about more than removing marine debris, that doesn t mean I m

16 downplaying the tangible, direct effects of the ICC. Nothing will ever replace the accomplishment of removing millions of pounds of debris and clearing vast stretches of our world s most beautiful and inspiring places. The combined impact of the ICC is to make each and every one of us whether financial partner, Ocean Conservancy staff member, site coordinator, or volunteer feel a part of a much bigger effort. You are the solution to a problem that deeply troubles those of us who fill our days and nights with thoughts of leaving the world a better place than we found it. I want to close by saying that I think we are in the early stages of what will be one of the most opportune times in recent history to lead social change for the environment and the ocean in particular. You are on the front lines of that

17 effort. Together, we must make the most of it. In support of you our committed coordinator network and our sponsors and partners I plan to see the Ocean Conservancy s ICC grow and strengthen through mobilizing our communities, increasing our volunteer base, finding new partners to collaborate with at home and abroad. So, here we are on the front line. A great opportunity lies before us. It s time to lead real change for our ocean. Thank you and good luck with this year s ICC. I know it will be bigger and better than ever. Thank you.