Linking communities & science:
The Buddy-Programme
WHAT?
A long-term relationship between interested scientists and members of coastal communities.
WHO?
Walker-Talkers or other interested marine scientists.
Interested people from communities along the English coast.
HOW?
We will set up a "Find-a-Buddy" platform to help identify buddies who share interests and passions, are concerned about certain local topics, have the same geographical focus...


STEP 1:
Find a buddy!


STEP 2:
Learn from each other!


STEP 3:
Set up your own local event to raise ocean literacy in your community with the help of The Plover Rovers and your buddy.
The aims of our buddy-programme are:
1. Give local people the opportunity to connect to marine science on a personal level.
2. Give marine scientists the opportunity to connect to coastal communities on a personal level.
3. Bridge the divide between science and society by establishing sustained communication.
4. Enable members of local communities to set up their own, community-led ocean literacy project for the Year of the Coast 2023.
Our Buddy-Programme supports one of the key aims of the UN Decade of Ocean Science:
to be transformative in terms of who is contributing to marine science and other marine-related activities. The UN Road Map talks about aiming for "generational, gender and geographic diversity". With the Buddy-Programme, we aim to enable people to connect to marine science whose background may initially make it more challenging for them to access academia in general and environmental sciences in particular.
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If you are a member of the scientific community and want to get involved, please click here.
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