Tragic dolphin toy to teach youngsters

Saturday 08 February 2020

A new initiative is inviting the island’s youngsters to become advocates for the ocean, in return receiving a cuddly dolphin toy with a tragic twist to teach them about plastic pollution.

The initiative is a partnership between the Plastic-Free communities in Jersey and Guernsey and wealth manager Butterfield, which aims to educate primary school children about the impact plastics have on marine life.

Each child that becomes a proud ‘Junior Ocean Advocate’ will also have the opportunity to take home a cuddly dolphin called Darla for the week.

However, she comes with a hidden message.

Behind the dolphin’s soft exterior lies a sad reality: Darla’s insides are stuffed with indigestible plastic items. 

The toy aims to mirror what is sadly becoming a common occurrence in real life, as more and more plastics are thrown carelessly into the world’s oceans.   

Pictured: Butterfield are supporting the eco-learning initiative.

Both Butterfield and Plastic Free Jersey said they were “delighted” and “extremely grateful” to be working together in “tackling the global problem of plastic pollution".

Underlining the impact of living on an island, Co-Founder of Plastic Free Jersey, Linzi Hawkin commented: “We have an intrinsic link to the ocean. It influences our daily lives and we have a responsibility to take care of it.”

Butterfield Junior Ocean Advocate from PROTECT BLUE on Vimeo.

Video: Each child that becomes a ‘Junior Ocean Advocate’ will receive a cuddly dolphin with a hidden message.

Linzi added that, through the Junior Ocean Advocate initiative, she hopes “local children will understand the issue of plastic pollution at a young age so they feel empowered to take a stand against single-use plastic and recognise that one person really can make a difference".

Richard Saunders, Butterfield's Managing Director in the Channel Islands, said it is important to “help educate pupils on the importance of safeguarding our ocean early on, so they can become the environmental leaders of the future”.