WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?

'How are you' is one of the most common greetings expressed in any culture. As we witness increasingly extreme weather patterns, this question speaks to our concern when we reach out to family and friends, both locally and abroad. Stories of flooding, drought, fires, and wind leave such destruction in their wake, and we hear about these instances more frequently from all over the world. Every single continent has experienced change and many countries and communities have faced incredible hardship as a result of climate events.

 

We draw inspiration from our friends in the Maasai community (Kenya and Tanzania) who survive living in some of the harshest conditions. Our calls and video chats with Nelson, our Maasai colleague in Kenya, always begin with "How are you" followed by updates on our families. It isn't long before every single conversation with him turns to water, and the impact of severe drought in his region. The lack of rain has led to a lack of water, let alone clean water, which in turn impacts sanitation, hygiene, drinking water and food. All aspects of life are linked to the importance of a stable hydrocycle (Resource: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). The inspiration from Nelson's conservation efforts of adding rain capture systems to schools, providing hygiene products to girls and planting trees in Kenya led to addition of the '2' for H2O (chemical symbol for water) to become the H2OW ARE YOU Initiative.

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PURPOSE OF OUR H2OW ARE YOU INITIATIVE

We love the experiences from our trips abroad, but recognize that flying and travel are some of the largest contributors to climate change. The H2OW ARE YOU Initiative is our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and represents our conservation program to protect the special places that we are so honoured to visit and experience. We are plant trees, collect debris on beaches and underwater, and lead education programs that bring greater awareness and action for climate events around the globe. By coordinating conservation projects that can make a difference, our goal is to create long term, lasting impacts that reduce our carbon footprint. Did you know that planting 78 trees can offset the 778KG of carbon emissions per person of a return flight from New York to London? (Resource: Travel Daily Media)

 

On our trip to Kenya in 2023 we planted over 650 trees and provided funds for water capture systems to ensure these trees will mature. We can't wait to go back next year to see how tall the trees have grown (and the kids who look after them).