Local artists advocate for reef in LAST STRAW CAMPAIGN

Two local artists have joined The Last Straw campaign, an initiative of former Ocean Grove resident Nicole Nash who is working on the Great Barrier Reef as a marine biologist and tackling pollution; Edward from Breathableocean completed this 200-metre piece and photographer Adam Stan captured it. Photo: ADAM STAN

A national campaign encouraging business owners and individuals to ban plastic straws is the brainchild of Ocean Grove’s very own Nicole Nash.

Having relocated to work as a marine biologist on the Great Barrier Reef, her campaign The Last Straw has now reached our southern waters thanks to a collaboration with two local artists.

Ms Nash said having veered away from her family’s business Lomas Orchards in Wallington to work as a marine biologist on the reef she saw firsthand the devastation of pollution and wanted to do something about it.

“I was working as a marine biologist out on the reef and saw it go through the coral bleaching, I knew there was a way I could help reduce the stress on the marine life and that was by reducing pollution entering the ocean,” Ms Nash said.

“I launched the campaign up here in Cairns, January 2017 and most businesses have been pretty positive and have gotten rid of straws completely or swapped to paper or stainless steel.”

Ms Nash stumbled across the Breathableocean account on Instagram that features sand art by Edward and captured by photographer Adam Stan’s drone.

“I’d been following their page on Instagram through my last straw account. I’m from Ocean Grove originally and thought it would be a good link between the Great Barrier Reef and the Southern Ocean. To show our oceans are one big body of water not individuals oceans,” she said.

“I sent them a message online and they did it pretty much instantly for me, Edward was really keen he’s passionate about protecting the ocean, and Adam Stan came on board. They were both happy to donate that work.

“Everyone’s been blown away, we’ve got nothing like that up here. I don’t think many parts of the world have something like that, it was over 200 metres. Up here we have crocodiles so you can’t really go to the low tide mark, it’s hazardous.”

Ms Nash said more than 75 per cent of marine debris found in and around the Great Barrier Reef was plastic.

“Plastic will survive for more than 100 years, and the problem is it’s often mistaken for food by marine life and ingested; it also poses a threat of entanglement and critical habitat destruction.

“Why use a straw for one minute when it will survive longer than your lifetime. I encourage businesses in the Bellarine area to go plastic straw free and they can register through the National campaign -The Last Straw.”

For more information go to laststraw.com.au.