Beaufort and the Black Sea
Project Details
Beaufort and the Black Sea is a children's book that follows the story of Beaufort, a Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bear who makes a difference when a pipeline unfortunately devastates his home in the Yukon. As Beaufort journeys towards Whitehorse, he learns how other ocean ecosystem species are also negatively impacted. With a desire to help and restore his home to the way it once was, Beaufort leads a climate protest and calls humans to action.
Project Description
Beaufort and the Black Sea is a children’s book that follows the story of Beaufort, a Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bear who becomes a climate activist in an effort to save his home of the Yukon from the increasing presence of climate change. This novel is full of small, detailed facts regarding different types of ocean wildlife, such as orcas and beluga whales, and the specific ways in which they, too, have faced adversity and harm since the onset of global warming. Beaufort addresses the ways humans can help, informing readers about the small steps they can take to live a more sustainable life in an effort to reverse climate change.
Author: Katrianna DeSante
Illustrator: Jack DeSante
This project has been created in commemoration of the lives of all the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, including two Ocean Bridge ambassadors, Danielle Moore and Micah Messent. We aspire to carry on their legacy and commitment to making the world a better place by creating long-lasting impacts with a firm commitment to driving positive change for the environment and our ocean. We will never forget the light that Danielle and Micah brought to the world and will continue to keep them in our hearts. To learn more about these two amazing people, please visit: Honouring Danielle and Micah – Ocean Wise. This work is partially funded by the Commemoration Fund for Victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy.
What was your biggest challenge?
It was a little bit of a challenge managing my time, as a Master of Journalism student, but it was rewarding nonetheless!
What was your most valuable takeaway?
My most valuable takeaway was realizing just how important the ocean is to not only human survival, but ocean ecosystems. The key message that I wanted Beaufort to illuminate was that one person, let alone an animal, can’t do it alone. Spreading the message, working together, and motivating each other are the ways that we as a society can begin to tackle climate change. Eco-anxiety is a very debilitating and exhausting feeling in today’s age. I hope this book serves as a way to generate conversation and inform children about the wildlife far beyond their backyard that is suffering due to human negligence.
