Hi, I’m Minna, Founder of Blue Mar 4 Change. Mar, meaning Ocean, in Spanish.

Following a trip to Nicaragua, an amazing lady named Rosa, living in material poverty, gave our daughter gifts to celebrate her first birthday. It was the richness and generosity of her spirit that moved me and nudged me forward. I decided that I wanted to give back, through my travel and adventures, and Blue Mar 4 Change was established.

I grew up in Northern Ontario and have always loved the water. Every day, I played in our great big backyard, leading into the forest and down to the river. Summers were especially divine at our camp on Lake Huron. Running around barefoot, picking berries and splashing off the dock; well into the hours of sunset, fireflies and stargazing. This is something that I still love to do. I cherish the opportunity to share this with my daughters. The stories, connecting us to family, culture and nature. Sharing this forward for future generations.

It was a road trip to Oregon with my grandparents in my early teens that really sparked my imagination and love for our oceans. There was something about those sand dunes and wild waves of the Pacific North West that invoked something deeper in me. Something that resonated and led me to travel to wild places around the globe. Knowing that I needed to be, by the sea.
And here I am. Grateful to be living on the West Coast of Canada, in Squamish, British Columbia. Where the mountains meet the sea, and rivers flow. In this place of blues and greens, where you can literally see the forest breathing.

And we can see the problems that our oceans are facing. From climate change to plastics. Overdevelopment and unsustainable practices. Much of the crisis is hidden. And we need to help.
We need to protect them.

For the oceans too, provide us with the air that we breathe. They fill our souls with a sense of wonder and joy. Sparking our curiosity as to what lives within. Delighting us with the tip of a fin or the shimmer of something, just below the surface.

We Need Nature. And We Need Our Oceans.
One action at a time.
Multiplied by Many.
We Can Make a Difference.
For Oceans of Change.
And A Brighter and Kinder Planet.

Oceans of Gratitude,
Minna