Friendly Drifter is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a sustainable waste management system in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. ALL proceeds from this book go directly to creating more educational material for the children of Raja Ampat, Indonesia. The material is intended to teach the children of this remote area, the role we all have in protecting the environment.
Ocean Warriors Plastic in Paradise, is a children’s book about two young siblings who rescue a turtle by preventing it from ingesting a plastic bag found floating in the ocean. The pair then recognize the dangers that plastic has on the marine life, the damage it causes to our oceans and beaches, and they work together to find solutions.
The book is one component of the education initiative for Friendly Drifter. The plastic waste issue is extremely hazardous to all marine life. Currently no proper recycling facilities exist in the Raja Ampat region, making it difficult for locals to dispose of plastics responsibly.
Raja Ampat, Indonesia is considered by many as the “Amazon of the Sea”. Over 1,500 species of coral reef fish and over 500 species of hard coral call it home. That means 75% of all hard coral species in the world exist here. Raja Ampat is the most marine bio-diverse region on the planet; however it needs our help.
Education _________
Education plays major role in creating a sustainable waste management system for Raja Ampat. The initial idea for creating such a book was inspired by an email received during the Ocean Rescue Run from Peter, the owner of Borsi; a plastic molding business in Germany that produces automobile parts. Peter has supported similar projects in the past through his organization, Industry Responsibility. Peter offered a donation and asked what it could be used for. Creating educational material for children was the perfect fit. Like minded collaborators were sought out – those who were passionate about the area and the environment.
Raja Ampat resident, Cath Witten, witnessed the problem of plastic pollution first hand – on the remote shores near her home. Lucky to have met through Instagram, and after exploring our shared concerns about the issues, she agreed to write the book, and later posted a blog about the reason she wanted to get involved int the project.
Next was to find an illustrator, someone who could bring Cath’s story to life. Jasmine Kammeyer also lived in Raja Ampat and had created a shark character named Stanley. Stanley was used to help protect sharks in the area, and teach children how important sharks are to the ecosystem. Jasmine describes her creative process in a couple of blog posts, that are available here: Jasmine Kammeyer.
