Sharing Kelp and Plastic with Passionate Youth

Written by: Jilian Tolzmann

An Ocean Wise Youth Alumni Op-Ed

Jilian Tolzmann is a multidisciplinary artist passionate about the ocean, having grown up visiting the Vancouver Aquarium. She is an alumna of Ocean Wise’s Youth to Sea and Eco-Action Accelerator programs. Jilian has performed with theatres like Carousel Theatre and The Cultch, creating a climate-focused piece for the IGNITE! Youth Festival. She has experience in almost every film department, with a directorial highlight being her 2023 and 2024 RunNGun 48 Hour Film best youth team nomination. Jilian looks forward to attending Studio 58 next year and aims to integrate environmental conservation into film and theatre.

Sharing Kelp and Plastic with Passionate Youth

Over the years, having participated in the Youth to Sea and Eco-Action Accelerator programs and now alumni engagement, Ocean Wise has offered me many memorable learning opportunities. My experience travelling with the Peace Boat US program was no exception. Peace Boat US is a committed campaigner for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals working to build a culture of peace and sustainability worldwide; Peace Boat US creates opportunities for learning, activism and international cooperation, just like how Ocean Wise does in Canada. I was joined by fellow Ocean Wise Youth Alumni and youth participants in the Peace Boat US program. There was some overlap as Ashoke Mohanraj is an Ocean Wise alumni who created an ocean themed educational children’s book and is now in the Peace Boat US program. The purpose of the day was to introduce youth to the wide scope of initiatives Ocean Wise offers. 

We started our day by travelling to the Pacific Science Enterprise Center (PSEC). I found myself quickly making friends with the fellow youth. In addition to learning boat loads (pun intended) of information, as we travelled I constantly felt myself prompted to share knowledge of Vancouver that I have acquired having lived in Vancouver my whole life. I found it greatly refreshing to be surrounded by youth who were so excited to discover the region. Their enthusiasm made me rediscover the joy of living in this city. As much as I enjoyed sharing with my new friends, I also appreciated getting the chance to learn about them. 

Located in West Vancouver, the PSEC site has a beautiful view of the ocean and downtown Vancouver all the way to the tip of University of British Columbia. Our tour began with the Ocean Wise Kelp Nursery. Just like on land we have forestation, Seaforestation is restoring underwater forests of kelp! At PSEC, kelp is being grown and planted underwater to help restore habitat loss. The project has seen great success and the team is working hard to scale the project to cover more terrain.

Next, we explored the Ocean Wise Plastics Lab. This state of the art facility includes technology such as $300 tweezers and a FTIR Machine (a type of microscope and the only one in Canada aside from the Winnipeg RCMP’s own). Microplastics are a major climate concern. To some peoples’ surprise, the majority of plastics found in the ocean are actually fibres from your clothing. If you wash clothing that contains synthetic fibres such as polyester, small micro plastics shed which end up in the ocean. You can reduce this impact by washing your clothes less and when you have to, use the cold and gentle settings as this reduces the amount of shedding. 

After we left PSEC, we had lunch at Kitsilano Beach where we then did an Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup. The number one piece of trash we found was cigarette butts. It was nice to enjoy the sun while expanding on our learning and friendships from the morning.

Once we wrapped our cleanup, Peace Boat led a Water quality testing activity with kits provided by Earth Echo International. Some youth got to get their feet wet in the water as we measured temperature, salinity, and turbidity! The information collected gets submitted to the ODIS database as part of the UN Ocean Decade. After this, we travelled nearby to Granville Island. I enjoyed continuing to show my new friends around and this was where I really felt I got to know their personalities. 

After some exploration, we enjoyed a dinner at the Ocean Wise office where some Ocean Wise Youth alumni presented their projects including Kelp in Hand and Subvision ROV. I am always amazed by my fellow Ocean Wise alumni for all their fascinating and innovative projects. 

I ended the day with Peace Boat US and Ocean Wise having gained additional knowledge on climate restoration initiatives and a new appreciation for what my city has to offer —both in tourist attractions and in natural wonders. Having the opportunity to make new friends with fellow youth passionate about ocean conservation was inspiring. This was a memorable day I won’t forget.