How improving ocean health starts on land will be the subject of a virtual Bosworth Lecture on Thursday, Feb 10 at 7 p.m. Registration is required for this event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/improving-ocean-health-starts-on-land-tickets-252077539707 All who register will be sent a link for the event on Feb 10. 

Egidia Vergano, project leader at Clean Ocean Access (COA), will speak about the behaviors we can adopt on land to improve the health of our oceans. 

“Did you know that diverting food scraps from your waste stream not only reduces your waste,” Ms Vergano asks, “but also reduces greenhouse emissions? And that the compost your scraps create improves soil health, in turn improving ocean health?!”

            The culmination of these efforts is to reduce the amount of material that ends up as litter, which is the source of marine debris in our oceans, Ms Vergano said. “We want to foster environmentally responsible behavior by leveraging the introduction of food scrap diversion.” For more, visit www.cleanoceanaccess.org.

COA’s goal is to increase up to 2000 the number of households composting in Newport, Middletown, Portsmouth, Jamestown and Bristol via curbside food scrap collection, eventually expanding the program throughout Rhode Island.

In addition, Ms Vergano said, “The use of compost has immense environmental benefits, from increasing the yield for backyard vegetable gardens, to reducing the use of commercial fertilizers which result in pollutants and excess nutrient loading into our watershed and coastal waters.’

Clean Ocean Access (COA) is a nonprofit organization begun in 2006 with the vision of a clean, healthy ocean that is accessible to all. COA is focused primarily on Aquidneck and Conanicut Islands, with programs extending across Rhode Island and the Northeast focused on eliminating marine debris, improving water quality, and protecting and preserving shoreline access.

COA affiliate Eleventh Hour Racing will also speak about its role in helping promote clean oceans as it participates in races around the world. Bristol native Charlie Enright is among the members of this racing team. 

After the early part of her career in the medical device industry, Ms Vergano said she was drawn to the environmental challenges of our planet and committed herself to helping others reduce waste and pursue sustainability. She worked in recycling and waste management for the Town of Narragansett and with Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University.

The Roswell S. Bosworth, Jr. Lecture Series is presented by the Men’s Club, a Bristol organization that pays tribute to its founding member and former editor/publisher of the East Bay Newspapers with lectures of general interest.

Upcoming Lecture: March 10 – Michael Marra on his book, Confessions of a Public School Teacher