It’s not unusual for a group of local women to gather for a dawn swim at Ocean Grove main beach.
The self-named Salty Dogs swim nearly every day together in the early morning while most of us are still sleeping soundly.
In something slightly more unusual one recent Saturday morning, the Salty Dogs joined a call to action from one member, who asked them to gather in aid of raising their voice to call on our politicians to act more boldly in response to climate change.
“We all love this area and most of us moved here because of the incredible beaches and wonderful natural surroundings of the Bellarine,” Jacqui, who joined the group 18 months ago, said.
“What we want is to ensure the beauty of the region is preserved, so our kids can have the same glorious experience as we have every day. Swimming at this beautiful, unpolluted beach.
“It gives you such a feeling of joy, especially on those hard days we have all experienced during COVID.
“Our kids are suffering with climate anxiety, particularly our teens. They can’t understand why we are not acting now, with haste, and urgency. They feel that
the adults of this world have given up, and so are they.
“We want to be able to look our kids in the eyes as they grow and tell them that we are doing everything we can to ensure they have a safe future. Part of
good parenting, for me, is acting on climate.”
The swimmers are calling on politicians to preserve a better future for the next generation.
A local mum from Ocean Grove, Suzie Brown, took on this vision and formed a group two years ago – Australian Parents for Climate Action, which is now national, with over 15,000 members.
The group is supporting the Solar Our Schools project, which aims to have solar panels and batteries on every school and childcare centre in Australia.
You can join the swimmers at sunrise at the beach, or at Australian Parents for Climate Action (ap4ca.org).
