In January 2021, Mr. Harris Rosen, owner of Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Florida, presented the B4AC organization with a gift of $5,000 to be awarded to this year's ambassador. Enjoy this message of appreciation from recipient Marisa Butler of Maine.
Dear Mr. Rosen,
I would like to thank you for the generous $5,000 scholarship to aid in my environmental projects this year. I wanted to send you a brief update on how your funding is being applied to my mission. We have determined the funding is best concentrated on three initiatives:
1) Volunteer engagement - encouraging EVERYONE in America to do something easy to help our environment. To me, the easiest thing we can do is CLEAN UP OUR COMMUNITIES! Your funding will help in the ongoing operational costs, outreach, training, tools, and marketing.
I am expanding a local charity I created, called "We Clean Trails," to the national level, acquiring charitable business status in California and applying to become a federal 501c3 tax exempt entity.
In April, I am challenging other local, state and national ambassadors to adopt a trail in their communities and document their project, such as how many pounds of trash they clean up, how many miles they cover, and submit photos / video to post to the website.
I will be establishing other regional chapters and creating other challenges throughout the year, including presentation of youth ambassador certificates!
2) Making a major impact on wildlife - My environmental passion is wildlife research and protection. So my goal is to personally engage in projects to show the world the beauty and importance of our wildlife here in the USA. Your funding will help aid in travel costs, training and videography.
I have already worked directly with the San Diego Seal Society to place more park rangers at the Seal Beach in La Jolla, California. I will continue to engage in this effort to provide more protection to the seals.
I am visiting the Miami area to rejoin the "Beneath the Waves" shark tagging team! Shark tagging is the process of humans collecting shark blood samples and analyzing the data. This allows scientists to study the animals' migration patterns, growth, life cycle, and more! We will be videoing the experience and creating a video of how this process is accomplished.
I will be returning this summer to my home state of Maine to volunteer for the Center for Wildlife. This will include working hands on with birds, reptiles and other New England based animals.
I hope you will follow @wecleantrails and let me know what you think! I look forward to seeing you again and catching you up on our progress later this year.
Marisa Butler, Maine