Our children are going to inherit the mess we’ve made, so it’s no wonder that young people are starting early to protect the natural resources we have left. Nancy Carlisle, author of Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green, has written a marvelous book to encourage their enthusiasm and activism. Today she’s kindly answering a question that I had about the whole thing. Thank you, Nancy!
P.S. There’s a Giveaway:
Keep reading to find out how you can win a signed copy of Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green: A Story of Cleaning Up the Ocean by Nancy Carlisle, plus $25 Amazon Gift Card (one winner / USA only) (ends Sep 9)

How can writers help environmentalists and the environment besides writing books?
I’m an environmentalist turned writer\illustrator because I love the thought that thru story telling one can possibly plant an idea in a child’s mind or offer food for thought about environmental issues. Besides writing books, I have tried a couple of other ways to use the craft of writing and illustrating to support environmental causes.
I have taken my books to classrooms and kids summer camps and read the stories. I also try to tie the story to an activity or bring in in pictures and items for show and tell. For example, I have another book on the topic of resiliency of kids and animals that must relocate\rebuild due to our changing climate and after I read that book at a nature camp, I discussed how hurricanes form and made a chart for the kids to track the location of hurricanes. When I read “Saving the Seas”, I show pictures of sea stars and other sea creatures that I’ve seen in my travels and bring in interesting shells and sand dollars.
I have also written and presented testimony in the state of Colorado for plastic recycling bills, provided input to a city council about the impacts of plastic pollution and have written letters to the editor of our local paper. When I testified, I was impressed at the number of kids in junior and high school who also testified.
I am a member of a professional organization called the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ). They offer interesting programs for continuing education on environmental topics and one of their key activities is to encourage writers to focus on local environmental stories, the thought being that the human aspect of environmental problems provides greater awareness of issues. Many members of the SEJ are news reporters and weather people and the organization provides written fact-based content for them to insert into their reporting.
Finally, I’ve been impressed with a series of short videos produced by a the childrens’ book author Lynn Cherry. The series is found on the web site https://youngvoicesfortheplanet.com/. The videos highlight efforts initiated by kids to make a difference in the environment.
These multiple ways of environmental messaging are, as the Dalai Lama says, “Like ripples that spread out when a pebble is dropped into water, the action of one individual can have a far-reaching effect”. These are all examples of how the craft of writing can be used to support the environmental movement.
“Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green gives children the hope of making a difference. Washed Ashore is honored to have our work highlighted.”— Angela Hazeltine Pozzi, Founder of Washed Ashore
“A simple, relevant, and informative read that gives kids a positive outlook on what can be done to reduce our impact on the ocean.”— Taylor Lane, Creator of the Cigarette Surfboard
A young girl loves the tide pools that she sees on her runs by the ocean, but one day notices garbage amongst the colorful creatures she finds there. Along the beach she meets conservationists cleaning up the beach who educate her about the dangers that trash pose to ocean life. She decides to help also.

Meet the Author:
Nancy Carlisle is an author and illustrator who writes hopeful books for kids that interweave facts and fiction about the environment and global responsibility. During her 38-year career as a sustainable architect and researcher, her focus was on the environment. She led work nationally and internationally on sustainable and energy efficient buildings and communities and won awards for collaboratively designing award-winning sustainable buildings, a laboratory campus, and improving the energy efficiency of U.S. laboratories. Since retiring, Nancy has worked as a volunteer teaching English as a Second Language and mentors first generation college students. She is a strong advocate against plastic waste not only because it pollutes our oceans and water but also because it contributes CO2 to our atmosphere.
Nancy enjoys the outdoors and international travel. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Society of Environmental Journalists. She studies botanical illustrating and French language.
connect with the author: website
SAVING THE SEAS Book Tour GiveawayWant to read more guest posts about writing? Just CLICK HERE.
Want to read more posts about environmental protection? Just CLICK HERE.
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Really nice cover and excerpt, looking forward to reading this!
Sounds good, thank you for sharing.
Thank you for sharing about the book, it would be great to read to my son
Sounds really good. I like the cover.
Great guest post! I can’t wait to read Saving the Seas for the Purple and Green with the kids!
Thanks for sharing it with me and have a terrific day!