Community Outreach
Recognizing an organization that is enriching the customs and traditions of local communities and increasing public awareness of them
Seacology
Few places are as vulnerable to exploitation as islands—and few people as prone to succumbing to these pressures as islanders, who often face a choice between economic development and the preservation of natural resources. Seacology, however, provides an alternative. The 15-year-old San Francisco–based nonprofit operates on a simple model: from Fiji to Indonesia to the Maldives, it offers islanders tangible benefits—schools, health clinics, sanitation systems—in exchange for legal agreements that prohibit logging, overfishing, and other harmful practices. Since 1991, Seacology has completed more than 100 projects in more than 40 countries and is responsible for preserving roughly 1.8 million acres of marine and island habitat—an exemplary record of commitment to island communities.
