Only Two Months Until World Oceans Day!

Oh, and HAPPY EASTER!!! ;o)

Today is April 8th... which means that June 8th - World Oceans Day - is only two months away! Which is a big deal on this blog, as those of you who've hung around here for the past couple of years already know! :D

What's that? You're new and haven't got a clue as to what WOD is??? Allow me!

June 8th has been officially declared (by the U.N. after some pushing and prodding) as World Oceans Day. It's a time to contemplate how crucial the oceans are to the well-being of our planet, how they inspire humanity, how they captivate our souls... And it's time to give something back!

For the past three years I've hosted an Oceanic Blog-A-Thon in honour of World Oceans Day, and in two months time we'll get the fourth edition! Unfortunately it will have to be a couple of days late... because on World Ocean's Day I'll be enjoying the marine environment on a sail boat in the Greek islands celebrating my parents' 40th wedding anniversary with family and close friends... (well, to be more precise on the 8th I'll actually be sailing back into Athens after a week in the isles). So the Oceanic Blog-A-Thon will officially take place this year on the weekend of June 9th - 10th! I'll get everything ready before I leave for Greece (including writing and "scheduling" -I love that option on Blogger!- my own WOD post for the 8th) and as soon as I get home Saturday evening I'll plop down in front of the computer and start reading and adding the links and summaries of your posts to the main Blog-A-Thon post! Yup, as soon as I get home, before dealing with stinky laundry or anything else! :p

What can YOU do to help our Oceans? Well for starters you can check out the Ocean Project's website and the official World Oceans Day website for ideas (including a way of "microvolunteering" as a "Blue Planeteer" from your own computer, I've already signed up!). Remember to Wear Blue and Tell Two! (share two oceanic facts with anyone you encounter, you can find some examples of fishy factoids here, here and here).

So start thinking about what you want to do for WOD, and start planning on writing a post to participate in the 2012 Oceanic Blog-A-Thon! The topic this year is the same as last: Youth: The Next Wave For Change. But you don't need to limit yourself to that topic for the Blog-A-Thon. Participants in previous years have written about anything aquatic that inspired them: a coastal holiday, a favourite beach, a special marine environment, their favourite marine animal, a marine movie or book, a childhood memory... the oceans have so much variety, I'm sure you won't have any problem thinking of something! If you'd like browse through the 2011, 2010 and 2009 editions of the Oceanic Blog-A-Thon and see if any of it inspires you! And spread the word to your own readers and family and friends... You can start by sharing that video above on your Facebook pages and "liking" the WOD Facebook page. :o)

I had hope to write a full-blown sciency oceanic post to launch the WOD countdown... but I've been too busy this past week with work and the Semana Santa (Spanish Holy Week) activities. Since my hiking activities will start calming down soon (it's getting to be a bit too hot for my comfort!), I should be able to find more time to take the blog in an aquatic direction soon. ;o)