Memorial Foundation Update

Hello everyone,

By now, you’ve likely heard the news of J’s passing. We want to thank you for your outpouring of love and support over the past few weeks.

I also want to thank Outside Magazine for its tribute to my husband, which was published earlier this month. And Plastic Pollution Coalition, who published this blog to honor him and his work.

J dedicated his life to understanding how our connection to water and wildlife has the power to change our health and well-being. He worked tirelessly to share his findings with the world – from his best-selling book Blue Mind, to countless environmental organizations and movements that he founded and supported.

We are currently in the process of turning the Dr. Wallace J. Nichols Memorial Fund into a foundation. Our goal is to continue J's important work, complete unfinished projects, and support causes he was passionate about, including:

• The Blue Mind Movement reconnects people to water by linking ocean and waterway exploration, restoration, and conservation with neuroscience, psychology, public health, and well-being. This involves an annual summit, workshops, research collaborations and a small grants program through The Ocean Foundation.
• Billion Baby Turtles Project was founded by J and Brad Nahill to increase the number of baby sea turtles in oceans around the world. To date, we have saved nearly 1 million hatchlings at nesting beaches in El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and elsewhere.
• Blue Marbles Project has a goal of passing a marble through every person’s hand on earth, with a simple message of gratitude. Since our launch in 2009, millions around the world have joined hands to create a blue global community.
• Force Blue unites the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine conservation, for the betterment of both. J was deeply passionate about Force Blue's mission and loved supporting the project with his time and energy.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition is a non-profit communications and advocacy organization that collaborates with an expansive global alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals to create a more just, equitable, regenerative world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impacts. J was a longtime friend and founding advisor to the Plastic Pollution Coalition.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the fund thus far. We are grateful for your generosity and deeply moved by your stories of J’s impact on all our lives.

If you're interested in helping with the foundation and preserving J's legacy, please contact me directly at legacy@wallacejnichols.org.

We wish you water,

Dana Nichols