Reef-World’s campaign to help dive guides receive Green Fins environmental certification renamed in honour of trustee.
The Reef-World Foundation – international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – is renaming their scholarship for Dive Guides the Andrea Leeman Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship Fund in honour of Reef-World’s trustee who passed away on the 1st April 2020.
Andy was a valued and inspired trustee who helped oversee some of the key decisions in the running and direction of Reef-World. She sadly passed away on the same day as she was born last year leaving behind a better, stronger Reef-World.
Dive guides who meet the criteria (outlined below) can apply for the scholarship at any time through the Green Fins website. To be eligible for the scholarship, guides must: have completed and passed all modules of the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course; be able to demonstrate they or their employer are not financially able to purchase the certificate; and be a national of a country which receives official development assistance from the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).*
The Scholarship was created in response to feedback from dive guides who had passed the Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course and were keen to download and display their personalised electronic certificate but were not financially able to cover the associated cost (£19 / $25 USD). The personalised electronic certificate can be displayed to entice eco-minded guests by informing them the guide has received this vital environmental certification and is aware of how to reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with diving.
This fund was originally supported through the generous support from Paralenz and will continue to be maintained in the future through raising funds from public donations.
The Green Fins Dive Guide e-Course, created with the support of Professional SCUBA Schools International (PSS) and running on their innovative EVO e-learning platform, teaches dive professionals how to prevent diving-related damage to coral reefs by following the highest environmental standards and better managing their guests to prevent damage to the reef.
Diving related damage to sensitive marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, is becoming an increasingly significant issue. This damage makes them less likely to survive other local and wider stressors, such as overfishing or run-off from land containing pollutants and plastic debris as well as the effects of climate change, such as rising sea temperatures.
JJ Harvey, Director at The Reef-World Foundation, said: “This is a fitting tribute to someone who has given so much of their time and energy to helping others around the world. Through renaming the scholarship, we hope to raise the awareness to others of Andy, letting them know what an amazing woman she was. She would be absolutely delighted knowing that this scholarship fund is helping dive guides with less fortunate backgrounds than others to be able to access this training and receive a certificate that will give them a better chance of securing future employment by showing their commitment to the very environment they rely on. Andy will be sorely missed but we hope that this renaming of the fund will help keep her in our minds and in our hearts.”
Dive guides who want to be considered for scholarship can visit Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship to apply.
To donate to the Green Fins Dive Guide Scholarship Fund, please visit sponsor a dive guide.