Our timeline
Our very first course of action was finding local movements set out to help the Finnish marine ecosystem or the Baltic and helping them out. After some research, we found out about the John Nurminen Foundation whose mission is to protect the Baltic Sea as an organization but also to unite different countries to fight against the threats to the Baltic. More specifically “The John Nurminen Foundation is a protector of marine nature, guardian of maritime culture, publisher of maritime literature, and advocate for the importance of the Baltic Sea.”
To help the John Nurminen Foundation, we hosted a bake sale whose profits would be donated directly to the John Nurminen Foundation. In this bake sale, members from different backgrounds brought home-baked goodies and drinks for the school community to enjoy.
As a part of our efforts in helping to inspire and educate the younger students on how to take action on causes they care about, we organized a presentation for the lower school students. Grade 11 students: Harish, Patricio & Felix, organized this presentation to share tips on how to take action and their knowledge and passion for protecting the Baltic specifically. We hope that the students felt inspired to make a change not just for our oceans but for the entire world. For example, some students were more interested in protecting bees as they knew that bees were a keystone species (a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its natural environment relative to its abundance).
The hope of this presentation was not just to inspire and spread knowledge but also to plan out future sessions with the lower school in which we would help them put their thoughts and ideas into action for the well-being of our planet. To not overwhelm or scare the younger students with a potentially upsetting future for our oceans, we shun light on the problem with our oceans but mainly focused on the change and positive things that can be done to take action.
As part of our commitment to raising awareness about marine conservation, we were thrilled to welcome Dr. Hermanni Kaartokallio, a leading expert from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), to our school. Hermanni Kaartokallio is a senior research scientist at SYKE. He has a doctorate in marine biology from the University of Helsinki and his research primarily focuses on microbial activity and diversity in cold marine environments, particularly within the Baltic Sea. His research also extends to studying the degradation of biodegradable plastics in marine environments, a critical area for understanding pollution and its effects on aquatic ecosystems. Furthermore, he has published papers on topics such as eutrophication which is a big contributor to the degradation of the Baltic sea. In his visit to the International School of Helsinki, Dr. Kaartokallio shared his deep knowledge of the Baltic ecosystem, briefly focusing on his research in microbial ecology, the impact of climate change on marine life, and then the things that are being done by his team and other groups to help. This special session not only broadened the knowledge of students who joined his presentation but also the knowledge of our passionate MCC members. His presentation took place during break time and to compensate for the loss of free time, the audience was provided with delicious baked goods and drinks to enjoy and learn from Dr Kaartokallio’s presentation.
Each year, the International School of Helsinki (ISH) hosts an exciting fun run, bringing together students, staff, and the community for a day of fitness dedicated to having fun community time and raising money for charity. The event encourages participants to accumulate steps, which are converted into donations for a chosen charity, making every step count towards a greater cause. Like every year, the run was made more special with various food stands offering snacks and refreshments, turning the day into a vibrant social event.
The MCC happily joined in, contributing to the spirit of the event by running our food stand. Our members brought homemade goodies to add to the social experience of the fun run, to keep the tired runners going, and to make a difference. The highlight for us however was the purpose behind our participation: the money earned from our stand was donated to the John Nurminen Foundation, similar to the previous bake sale. By combining fitness, fun, and fundraising, we were able to support the mission of protecting the Baltic Sea and raising awareness of marine conservation. It was a wonderful day filled with energy, happiness, and a shared commitment to making a positive impact on not just our oceans but the world.
Since the creation of the MCC, we have kept at the back of our minds the question: How could we expand our efforts to other parts of the world?
Using the connections that every international member of the MCC has, we managed to connect with students from different schools around the world and join forces to make a difference internationally. We managed to make connections with students from the following countries: Mexico, Korea, Australia, Vietnam, South Africa Malaysia, Denmark & Canada.
Expanding the MCC to the given countries offers an opportunity to enhance our conservation efforts by addressing diverse environmental challenges across the globe. These locations are perfect for our efforts as they each provide unique ecosystems that face distinct marine issues that allow the MCC to have a wider, more meaningful impact. The expansion into these countries enables us to engage with a variety of marine environments. For example, Denmark's Baltic Sea and its issues with eutrophication, along with Canada's Arctic waters, which are under increasing threat due to climate change, represent critical areas for conservation in colder areas of the world. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mexico offer rich biodiversity in coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, but they are also regions that suffer from significant plastic pollution and unsustainable fishing practices. By involving the MCC in these locations, we can support local efforts and continue our mission of raising awareness at an international level. ISH is an international school whose students have multiple backgrounds. This expansion is beneficial as we can help students from different backgrounds help a marine ecosystem they are familiar with and more importantly a marine ecosystem they can call home.
To help draw attention to the issues and dangers our oceans face, I chose to create a mural. I found inspiration in the stunning beauty of marine life, which I experienced firsthand while participating in a marine conservation project in Sri Lanka. During this trip, we volunteered at a sea turtle rehabilitation center. Having lived in Indonesia, I’ve observed the remarkable beauty of thriving marine ecosystems, but I’ve also witnessed the devastating effects of pollution. In some areas, rivers that should have supported diverse wildlife were instead flowing with trash. These experiences have led to my interest in ocean conservation and inspired me to make this mural. This mural will be prominently displayed at school with the goal of it not only being an art piece but also a tool to educate and inspire. My aim with this mural is to spread awareness about protecting our marine environments from pollution and overexploitation and encourage younger students and even teachers to help protect the ocean by making more sustainable choices. The plan is to gather trash from beaches and the ocean and then use that to create the mural in the shape of a large sea turtle, a species greatly affected by plastic pollution. As trash is used as the medium, the mural will serve as a visual reminder of the impact of the impact humans have had on the ocean environment.
Since the creation of the MCC, we have kept at the back of our minds the question: How could we expand our efforts to other parts of the world?
Using the connections that every international member of the MCC has, we managed to connect with students from different schools around the world and join forces to make a difference internationally. We managed to make connections with students from the following countries: Mexico, Korea, Australia, Vietnam, South Africa Malaysia, Denmark & Canada.
Expanding the MCC to the given countries offers an opportunity to enhance our conservation efforts by addressing diverse environmental challenges across the globe. These locations are perfect for our efforts as they each provide unique ecosystems that face distinct marine issues that allow the MCC to have a wider, more meaningful impact. The expansion into these countries enables us to engage with a variety of marine environments. For example, Denmark's Baltic Sea and its issues with eutrophication, along with Canada's Arctic waters, which are under increasing threat due to climate change, represent critical areas for conservation in colder areas of the world. Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mexico offer rich biodiversity in coral reefs and coastal ecosystems, but they are also regions that suffer from significant plastic pollution and unsustainable fishing practices. By involving the MCC in these locations, we can support local efforts and continue our mission of raising awareness at an international level. ISH is an international school whose students have multiple backgrounds. This expansion is beneficial as we can help students from different backgrounds help a marine ecosystem they are familiar with and more importantly a marine ecosystem they can call home.
