Our Kickstarter to educate kids about plastic pollution

Environment Oregon has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to raise money to self-publish “Myrtle the Turtle,” our children’s book about a young, adventurous sea turtle in the Pacific Ocean who mistakes a plastic bag for a jellyfish, and realizes she needs your help to keep her ocean home safe and beautiful.

Environment Oregon has launched a campaign on Kickstarter to raise money to self-publish “Myrtle the Turtle,” our children’s book about a young, adventurous sea turtle in the Pacific Ocean who mistakes a plastic bag for a jellyfish, and realizes she needs your help to keep her ocean home safe and beautiful.

We’ve known for decades that plastic pollution is harming our wildlife. Scientists have found plastic fragments in literally hundreds of species, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species. When animals ingest plastic waste, it can block their digestive tracts and as a result, they starve.

This book is meant to educate kids—and their grown-ups—about a very real and striking problem happening in our oceans and challenge them to do their part to protect Myrtle and other ocean creatures. Because as we all know, when kids set their mind to something, nothing can stop them.

Our Kickstarter campaign is “all-or-nothing” meaning that in order to bring Myrtle to life we need our supporters to pledge at least $10,000 by January 20th. Whether you pledge $10 at our “Prawn Level” or $500 at our “Blue Whale Level” it will make a big difference. Any contribution of $25 or more will get you your very own copy of the book, and more.

Please pledge today so we can make Myrtle a reality and empower kids across Oregon and beyond. 

You can also help by spreading the word on social media and with friends and family. Thank you so much for your support!

Our Kickstarter can be found here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2078241262/myrtle-the-turtle

Authors

Celeste Meiffren-Swango

State Director, Environment Oregon

As director of Environment Oregon, Celeste develops and runs campaigns to win real results for Oregon's environment. She has worked on issues ranging from preventing plastic pollution, stopping global warming, defending clean water, and protecting our beautiful places. Celeste's organizing has helped to reduce kids' exposure to lead in drinking water at childcare facilities in Oregon, encourage transportation electrification, ban single-use plastic grocery bags, defend our bedrock environmental laws and more. She is also the author of the children's book, Myrtle the Turtle, empowering kids to prevent plastic pollution. Celeste lives in Portland, Ore., with her husband and two daughters, where they frequently enjoy the bounty of Oregon's natural beauty.