Issue 115 - December 2024
The Iris Project: Enabling Young People to Protect and Restore Nature
In a world facing unprecedented environmental challenges, young people are stepping up as the change-makers we need. The Iris Project is at the forefront of this movement, shining a light on young people leading the way in protecting and restoring our planet. The Iris Project is dedicated to the memory of Iris Goldsmith, a passionate young environmentalist who, at just 15 years old, tragically lost her life in an accident. Iris had a profound connection to the natural world, with a particular love for animals and the sea. In her honour, the project aims to foster a global community of young people committed to protecting and restoring nature, recognising the powerful role youth already play in addressing the climate and ecological crises.

Supporting Youth-Led Solutions to Global Problems
The Iris Project believes in the power of young people to lead the way in protecting and restoring the planet. Through a global network and annual award, The Iris Prize supports youth-led initiatives that create tangible, lasting change in their communities – creating a ripple effect that strengthens ecosystems locally and inspires global action.
From ideas to established projects, The Iris Prize provides young leaders with both financial support and global recognition, enabling them to grow their projects, scale their impact, and inspire others to take action. Whether they’re working on restoring vital ecosystems, protecting endangered species, or reducing plastic waste, the youth supported by The Iris Project is proving that the next generation has the power to create lasting positive change, both environmentally and socially.

The Ripple Effect of Giving: The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge
The urgency of addressing climate change and biodiversity loss has never been more apparent. As we look toward 2025 and beyond, it’s crucial that we continue to invest in the ideas and innovations that will protect our future. This December, The Iris Project is asking for your support to help young people make a meaningful impact on the world.
From the 3rd-10th of December, for one week only, every donation to The Iris Project will be matched through The Big Give’s Christmas Challenge! This means that every £1 you donate will be doubled, increasing the impact of your contribution and providing even more support for youth-led environmental projects.
The goal of the campaign is to raise £50,000, which will be doubled to £100,000 with the matching funds. This money will go directly towards supporting youth-led initiatives focused on restoring nature, safeguarding biodiversity, and creating sustainable solutions that benefit both local communities and the planet as a whole.

Making a Difference Through Youth-Led Action
Since its inception in 2022, The Iris Project has invested over £547,000 in youth-led environmental action. This funding has helped bring innovative solutions to life, supporting young leaders, and demonstrating that small, community-based actions can have a global impact.
The passion, creativity, and drive of the youth supported by The Iris Project are certainly inspiring. These young people are not waiting for others to take the lead – they are stepping up to take action as the next generation of change-makers, fighting for the ecosystems we all depend on. With your help, their impact can reach even further.
By donating to The Iris Project this December, you will help fuel a movement of young pioneers who are transforming the future of sustainability. Your contributions will support projects that inspire hope, empower communities, and create lasting environmental change.

Donate today: The Big Give – The Iris Project Christmas Challenge

The Iris Project’s vision of empowering youth to make meaningful environmental and social change aligns closely with the mission of Journeys With Purpose, a leading travel organisation that encourages people to embark on transformative journeys that foster a deeper connection with the natural world. Journeys With Purpose places great emphasis on the power of people, believing that purposeful action and passion can catalyse real change. By donating to The Iris Project, you can join Journeys With Purpose in supporting innovative grassroots initiatives around the world.
Article by Kim Bridgeman
Feature Destination
Journeys With Purpose – Visit South Africa

Journeys With Purpose offers immersive conservation and ethical travel experiences. Through private and hosted trips with pioneering conservationists, guests experience rewilding and restoring biodiversity in the wildest corners of the world. Our “Seven Worlds, One Planet” approach is a global curriculum focused on recovering and conserving vibrant landscapes, biodiversity, wildlife and livelihoods across all seven continents.
Issue 115 - December 2024
SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – December 2024 – Issue 115

National Geographic Explorer Thomas Peschak to Receive 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling
Award-winning photographer and National Geographic Explorer Thomas P. Peschak will receive the National Geographic Society’s 2025 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling for his long legacy of conservation storytelling at National Geographic and beyond. Read more…
The Changing Face of Little Cayman’s Reefs: One Year on From The Most Extensive Global Coral Bleaching on Record
As part of the Healthy Reefs Programme, the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) has been monitoring the reefs of Little Cayman for 26 years. This long-term data set allows CCMI’s researchers to understand trends and changes over time and make informed decisions to protect coral reefs. Read more…
Manta Ray Magic: Witnessing a Feeding Frenzy in the Great Barrier Reef – Photography by Aliya Siddiqi

While working at an island that’s known as “the home of the manta ray,” it’s easy for most of us staff to get jaded at seeing one or two manta rays…per day. Maybe they do a quick cruise past, or maybe a stop at the cleaning station. Read more…
Upstream: The Last Journey of Chum Salmon
Tucked in the northwesternmost corner of the United States is an impressive waterway known as the Puget Sound, a massive body of water formed by saltwater canals reaching into Washington State. Locals will tell you that, in autumn, the rivers come alive with Salmon. Read more…
The Iris Project: Enabling Young People to Protect and Restore Nature
In a world facing unprecedented environmental challenges, young people are stepping up as the change-makers we need. The Iris Project is at the forefront of this movement, shining a light on young people leading the way in protecting and restoring our planet. Read more…
Rolex Celebrates our Planet’s Poles, Mountains and Forest
Today, this network of pioneers is shedding light on the challenges we all face in a changing climate. Spread across the world, the explorers and researchers are showing how fundamentally linked the earth’s myriad landscapes are and how vulnerable they have become. Read more…
Journeys With Purpose – Kids on Safari: Frequently Asked Questions
Being able to experience a truly wild family holiday is a bucket-list adventure for most, but can require a little more forethought when planning. This article, and the expertise of our specialist team, is aimed to take the guesswork out of taking your kids on safari so you can look forward to enjoying a memorable family vacation. Read more…
Journeys With Purpose – Visit South Africa

From the golden beaches of Durban to the vineyards of Stellenbosch and Kruger National Park’s sweeping plains, South Africa offe s a holistic fusion of nature, history and adventure. Spend a week exploring the vibrant capital and venture to the top of Table Mountain for panoramic views, or head to the whale-watching capital of the world Read more…
Journeys With Purpose – Rewilding the Karoo: A Journey Through Samara
Nestled in the heart of South Africa’s Great Karoo, Samara Karoo Reserve offers a testament to the remarkable power of rewilding. This 67,000-hectare landscape once overgrazed and fragmented by farming, now thrives as a haven for biodiversity, blending science, sustainability, and community-driven conservation. Read more…
Oh Buoy! Curtin & NASA Unlock Ocean Secrets from Space
Curtin University has joined forces with NASA, the University of Miami, San José State University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology on a new-generation satellite mission to study the colour of the ocean from space, providing vital information about ocean health and its role in climate regulation. Read more…
Ocean of Threads: A Fusion of Fashion, Art, and Marine Conservation
Larnaka, Cyprus – In an inspired convergence of art, marine environmental awareness, and community engagement, artist Michalis Pantelidis has collaborated with the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research and the Larnaka Tourism Board for the project “Ocean of Threads”. Read more…
Book Suggestion – The Secrets of The Open Sea: A Review of “Into The Great Wide Ocean”
Sönke Johnsen’s “Into the Great Wide Ocean” provides a clear and accessible exploration of the pelagic ocean between the surface and the seafloor. Looking beyond the familiar parts of coastal ecosystems, Johnsen, a professor of biology at Duke University, focuses on the unique challenges and evolutionary adaptations of life in the open sea. Read more…
Dive into Action This Holiday Season: Double the Difference for Coral Reefs
The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has been selected to join the Big Give Christmas Challenge. Double your donation to The Reef-World Foundation in the Big Give’s Christmas Challenge. The charity is taking part in the Christmas Challenge to raise £4,000 in just 1 week. Read more…
NOAA Advances Efforts to Identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas
NOAA Fisheries released two draft programmatic environmental impact statements (PEIS) to support the identification of proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico. The public is invited to review and submit comments on the draft statements from November 22, 2024, through February 20, 2025. Read more…
The International SeaKeepers Society Hosts the Annual Founders Event 2024
The International SeaKeepers Society hosted its Annual Founders Event at the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, Florida during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS). Guests celebrated the remarkable achievements of the evening’s honorees, including 2024 SeaKeeper of the Year, Guy Harvey, and 2024 NextGen Awardee, Shireen Rahimi. Read more…
Hope for Right Whales
Researchers have identified four components of hope. The first is setting realistic goals and identifying realistic pathways to achieve them. Mental fortitude in the face of daunting circumstances is needed to achieve goals. The fourth is support from others, fellowship, and teamwork to overcome adversities met along the way. Read more…
New Study Finds Solutions to Whale-Ship Collisions Within Reach

According to the fossil record, cetaceans — whales, dolphins and their relatives — evolved from four-legged land mammals that returned to the oceans beginning some 50 million years ago. Today, their descendants are threatened by a different land-based mammal that has also returned to the sea: humans. Read more…
Time to Normalize Seafood as Part of Our Shared Wildlife
This concept is nothing new, but it is high time we officially normalize it. Years ago in the early 2000s, during a brown bag session at Conservation International, I overheard a comment that caught my attention. These lunchtime sessions, where colleagues shared their work informally, were typically casual, and I was only half-listening. Read more…
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Since 2004, SEVENSEAS Media has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.
Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the global marine community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. SEVENSEAS Media achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, independent consultants, and academia/students.
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Feature Destination
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