Wings of the Ocean is a French non-profit organization founded in 2018 and dedicated to cleaning up coastlines.
With its flagship vessel, the Kraken, joined in 2022 by a second boat, the Scylla, the association's members and volunteers roam the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to carry out beach cleanup operations and public awareness campaigns.
An action of invaluable worth that won us over at Horus X.
So, since 2022, we have been supporting Wings of the Ocean via 1% for the Planet, a global movement of companies that commit to donating 1% of their annual revenue to environmental protection organizations.
And today, our Community Manager Mathieu sits down with Nicolas Camo, the association's partnership manager, to discuss the work of Wings of the Ocean:
What are you most passionate about regarding Wings of the Ocean's work?
At Wings of the Ocean, I think what I'm most passionate about is the flame of commitment to the Ocean carried by each of the organization's employees and hundreds of volunteers!
On our humble scale, we try to work collectively to preserve the Ocean by fighting against the wild waste that pollutes it daily.
Even if the task sometimes seems insurmountable, every project we carry out on our French coastlines helps prevent the dumping of waste that destroys marine biodiversity and stifles its regeneration.
What I'm also passionate about is the diversity of missions that we have managed to set up in just five years:
- Two boats sail along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, raising awareness about plastic pollution among thousands of people.
- Three missions are established in priority areas such as the Arcachon Basin, the Étang de Berre, and the Thau Lagoon.
- Two missions are located on river estuaries, and many other projects are emerging!
Why is the financial support of partners like Horus X crucial for Wings of the Ocean? Do you have an example of a project you are particularly proud of?
The sinews of war for NGOs like ours are, of course, the search for funding.
It is the sum of individual donations, corporate contributions, and public grants that allows every association to meet its budgetary needs each year.
It's a sometimes unstable balance that is difficult to grasp from the outside!
Horus X, we have known each other for over three years now and the brand has been loyal to our missions on the coastlines. It is thanks to this loyalty that we can serenely prepare for mission costs, knowing that we will have committed and conscious partners who will be there to bring our projects to life.
Financial support should be seen as an "investment for nature" that allows Wings to feed, house, and support the volunteers who give their time every year in the field to organize cleanups and raise public awareness at events.
I think we can be proud of the impact 2023 has brought. Nearly 35% of all data collected and waste gathered since the creation of Wings was done in 2023.
It is proof that the impact grows along with our missions!
That is 45 tons of waste collected during 415 actions in 2023 vs 135 tons during 1107 actions since 2018.
Could you share specific successes that our support helped achieve?
Horus X has helped support several missions since their commitment in 2022.
The first year, the donation financed the equivalent of one month of mission in the Arcachon Basin (and thus 12 waste cleanups, around ten volunteers fed, housed...)
In 2023, the support was more substantial and allowed us to finance two months of missions on the Thau Lagoon and some maintenance work on the Kraken.
What are the next major goals for Wings of the Ocean?
For Wings, the goals are multiple:
- Maximize the impact of our current missions by rethinking the format and the model, which still requires a lot of funds for the boats and hosting volunteers over several months
- Establish ourselves on the four French river estuaries
- Develop a scientific project around the study of waste on coastlines and the quantities of microplastics found in the soil
- Have the Kraken sail in the Mediterranean and protect the Pelagos Sanctuary!
What is the biggest challenge your organization has to overcome today?
Wings of the Ocean has grown rapidly, and this internal and external growth inevitably brings its share of challenges: structuring teams in the field and internally, managing and directing missions...
It will be essential to know how to prioritize projects with the maximum impact at the expense of missions that are sometimes historical but whose impact today is less significant...
Therefore, refocusing our vision and ambition on what we do best: protecting the Ocean by preventing waste from ending up there and acting at the source of the problem!
If you could reach the entire population in a single post, what would you tell them?
The ocean produces 50% of the oxygen we breathe.
Being aware of this means realizing the urgent need to protect it.
Everyone can act on their own scale by supporting fabulous NGOs that work daily to preserve it against the threats it faces.
Obviously, pollution is one of them, but unfortunately, there are many issues: deep-sea mining, overfishing, (un)protected marine areas...
Get involved as a volunteer, reduce the impact of your own consumption, and participate actively as a citizen in the various forums and advocacy campaigns set up to protect the Ocean.
This year is the "Year of the Sea" announced by our President; it is a year with significant stakes where France (and the French) must defend a strong position as the world's second-largest maritime territory!
We are counting on you!
