ORIGINS…
Bolsa Chica is a magnificent ecological preserve located in Southern California.
Once an even more expansive wetland system, her beauty and bounty drew reverence from indigenous tribes that called this place home - a sacred place, where the rivers met the sea.
Over the past century, this sacred site has suffered great loss and devastation;
from when Huntington Beach was lined with oil derriks and military bunkers; to when a large portion of the land was further desecrated for a controversial housing development - ancient remains being unearthed and hidden from both ancestors and the public.
What used to be known as Shell Beach, came to be known as Tin Can Beach in the 1950’s.
Bolsa Chica was so littered with trash, summer beachgoers left an annual 30 TONS of cans, bottles, and other garbage along the shoreline.
Fast forward to more recent history, and you get the feeling the land remembers; the birds that migrate here remember.
You can still find shells, as well as spend hours picking up trash; the pollution a symptom of an out of touch, fast paced, consumeristic culture. If anything, Bolsa Chica and her history serve as a reminder for us to pause, slow down, and pay attention.
Nature’s beauty demands reverence & respect far beyond what we give her.
Nature is watching…
Bolsa Chica is one of so many places that face threats; but she is special. It is here, where I learned to surf. It is here I connected deeply with the energy of the land and the sea. It is here that I had many epiphanies, and where I first witnessed the direct impact of plastic pollution and human’s disregard for nature.
Bolsa Chica is one of the many reasons why I am dedicated to fighting for environmental justice.
We protect what we love.
Through invoking the name of Bolsa Chica, I choose to honor the energy of the land, the water, and the people. By designing my totem as a circle of birds, I energize us all to come together - to fly with a vision of sustainability and squawk with love. And with my designs and their stories, I hope to empower us all to take action to better blend in with nature. We are all connected through water. Water is Life.
Bronwyn Major is an environmental activist and ocean advocate. She has an education in Sustainability and Art and a degree in Environmental Studies; her foci being point source reduction education and plastic pollution prevention.
She has volunteered with multiple non-profits including: Surfrider, Plastic Pollution Coalition, 5Gyres and Heal the Bay, where she was awarded the 2015 Super Healer Science Award.
Bronwyn is committed to enlightening people on environmental topics through BCD and empowering them to be part of the solution through invested awareness. She is grateful for what the ocean has shared with her over the years and is passionate about connecting people to the sea - paying it forward through sharing her knowledge with curious students from all walks of life.
