A personal reflection on Earth Day and the evolving journey of The Sapphire Project
Published by Ryan Gollan / 24 April 2025
For the Oceans, For Our Future
Every year on April 22, Earth Day invites us to pause - not just to care, but to act. It’s a global moment to reflect on our place in the world, reimagine our relationship with nature, and recommit to a more sustainable future for all living things.
For me, and for The Sapphire Project, Earth Day isn’t just symbolic - it’s personal. It speaks to the soul of why we exist.
We began The Sapphire Project in 2021 with a bold idea and a big heart: to unite, educate, and inspire communities to protect our oceans. Our beginnings were humble, but they were deeply purposeful. And from the very first moment, we’ve been fortunate to have extraordinary partners who stood with us - not just in principle, but in practice.
Tiffany & Co. – A Founding Supporter with a Global Legacy
One of those partners was Tiffany & Co., who came on board as our Founding Presenting Partner. Their backing wasn’t just generous, it was deeply affirming. With more than USD $100 million invested over two decades into protecting marine and coastal ecosystems, Tiffany has long set the standard for corporate leadership in ocean conservation.
This past Earth Month, they transformed Times Square with a powerful campaign - Tiffany Blue® cascading across digital billboards, reminding millions that protecting the oceans is not just a cause, but a commitment.
To have them champion The Sapphire Project from the start gave us more than momentum, it gave us belief. Their global leadership and dedication to preserving the natural world inspired us to aim higher, to build better, and to bring beauty and purpose together in everything we do.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation – Our Core Partner, Our Conservation Backbone
Equally foundational is our partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) - Australia’s flagship marine conservation body and a globally respected force for science, impact, and resilience.
GBRF doesn’t just support what we do, they are part of the very foundation that makes it possible. Together, we’ve created a partnership model grounded in collaboration, transparency, and shared values. They provide the trusted conservation framework; we bring the community, creativity, and catalytic energy.
Their achievements are staggering:
427+ projects delivered across reef systems
609+ partners mobilised, including Indigenous communities and leading scientists
290 million+ baby corals deployed through Coral IVF and other pioneering techniques
Restoration of 16 critical reef habitats, protection of over 40 threatened species
Largest seagrass nursery and blue carbon project in the Southern Hemisphere
Enabling over 640,000 sea turtles to begin life on the Reef annually
Beyond the numbers, GBRF is looking ahead. Their TED Talk in the US last year - spotlighting scalable reef restoration and community-led innovation, has begun to shift the global narrative. Their vision for 2030: to deploy 10 million heat-resilient corals annually, elevate Traditional Owner leadership, and secure sustainable funding pipelines for long-term climate adaptation.
Sapphire is proud to be walking beside these two icons - amplifying our collective impact, telling the shared stories, and connecting hearts and minds to the critical work.
Our 2025 Beneficiaries – Why They Matter
This year, we’re proud to support four remarkable organisations whose work responds to the evolving needs of marine conservation - with creativity, urgency, and spirit.
🧜♂️ Preserving Australia’s Unique Seadragons
(University of Technology Sydney, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium & Jordan Askill / Sculpture Lab)
Weedy seadragons - Australia’s marine emblem of Victoria and a personal favourite of David Attenborough - are among our most mesmerising and mysterious ocean creatures. Native to the Great Southern Reef, they face increasing threats from habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance. Yet, surprisingly little is known about their life history.
This conservation partnership brings together marine scientists, creatives, and public-facing institutions to protect these iconic species through a blend of research, art, and community outreach.
With support from The Sapphire Project, the initiative will:
Establish comprehensive demographic datasets through field observations and monitoring
Launch public engagement campaigns to spotlight habitat loss, climate pressures, and human impacts
Share accessible and inspiring educational content to drive awareness and advocacy
Increase visibility of seadragon conservation through immersive storytelling and exhibitions
By deepening scientific understanding and sparking public fascination, this project seeks to protect the weedy seadragon - not just as a species, but as a symbol of Australia’s marine wonder, for generations to come.
🏄♂️ Surfers for Climate
Born from the ocean-loving community, Surfers for Climate is turning passion into purpose. What began with the landmark Fight for the Bight - a campaign that successfully united surfers and Traditional Owners to stop oil drilling in the Great Australian Bight - has evolved into a national movement for climate action.
In 2025, with support from The Sapphire Project, Surfers for Climate is relaunching the Great Australian Bight Alliance to build momentum toward securing UNESCO World Heritage status for this extraordinary marine ecosystem.
They’re also engaging communities through a vibrant, multi-pronged campaign that includes:
The Trade Up – encouraging sustainable gear swapping
Carpark Cinema – surf-inspired film nights with a climate twist
Blue Minds & Salty Brains Trivia – fun, educational activations that make climate science accessible
Water Women Campouts – empowering female ocean advocates through connection and storytelling
These initiatives culminate in the creation of a feature documentary film - a powerful tool to spotlight the cultural and ecological importance of the Bight and rally widespread public support.
By amplifying the voices of surfers, Mirning Elders, and environmentalists, Surfers for Climate is transforming personal connection into collective action - creating a path toward lasting protection for one of Australia’s most iconic marine treasures.
🪸 The Great Southern Reef Foundation
Stretching over 8,000 kilometres from northern New South Wales to Western Australia, the Great Southern Reef is a vast and interconnected network of kelp forests - home to some of the world’s most biodiverse and economically significant marine ecosystems. Yet despite its importance, it remains largely under-recognised.
The Great Southern Reef Foundation (GSRF), a volunteer-driven organisation, is working to change that narrative. Their work spans three core pillars: Science, Education, and Community Engagement.
At the heart of their mission is a Science Advisory Committee made up of Australia’s leading marine researchers. Together, they’re advancing our understanding of kelp forest health, biodiversity, and climate resilience - helping to shape evidence-based policies and drive urgent solutions, like the restoration of giant kelp forests.
Beyond the science, GSRF is a powerful voice for ocean literacy. They produce high-impact educational films, immersive content, and storytelling initiatives that connect Australians to the Reef and ignite a sense of stewardship.
In 2025, support from The Sapphire Project will directly contribute to restoring vital kelp forests, a foundational step in preserving this extraordinary ecosystem and embedding its cultural and ecological importance into the national conversation.
Through collaboration, innovation, and public engagement, GSRF is building a movement to protect the Reef - not just as a natural wonder, but as a living legacy for future generations.
🌊 Great Barrier Reef Foundation
From the very beginning, our partnership with GBRF has been one of Sapphire’s greatest cornerstones. It’s not just a collaboration, it’s an integrated journey of shared vision, action, and trust. GBRF provides the scientific and operational backbone that ensures every dollar raised through Sapphire creates meaningful and measurable outcomes for ocean health.
In 2025, our continued collaboration supports two visionary GBRF programs:
(1) SeaGrow
(in partnership with Central Queensland University & Gidarjil Development Corporation)
Seagrasses are the quiet powerhouses of our oceans, nurturing marine biodiversity, stabilising shorelines, feeding endangered dugongs and sea turtles, and storing significant amounts of carbon. But they’re also among the most vulnerable ecosystems.
SeaGrow aims to scale seagrass restoration across the Great Barrier Reef by:
Establishing locally led restoration models with Traditional Owners, community groups, and tourism operators at three key pilot sites
Leveraging CQUniversity’s global expertise in seed-based restoration to enable scalable, long-term impact
This program isn’t just about ecological restoration, it’s about resilience, leadership, and healing our ecosystems.
(2) Junior Indigenous Rangers
Across the Reef and its catchments, Indigenous Ranger programs empower young leaders to care for Country in culturally grounded and environmentally strategic ways. These programs deliver environmental, economic, and social outcomes - strengthening cultural identity, leadership, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.
In 2025, Sapphire’s support will help design a scalable pathway to expand the Junior Ranger program statewide, and eventually nationally, creating leadership opportunities for more Indigenous youth and deepening the protection of both land and sea Country.
This is not just conservation. This is legacy work, and we’re honoured to be part of it.
A Word from Our Honorary Chair
“Sapphire’s work is vital for Australia and the world. The culture that Sapphire has built on collaborative impact, building support, and generating funds for the best and brightest initiatives coming out of Australia gives hope for our oceans and our common future.
Thank you to the Sapphire committee, who my husband David and I had the pleasure of meeting in 2023. A special thanks to all our supporters, whose unwavering support since our inception has been instrumental. You are ocean heroes and For The Oceans!”— Susan Rockefeller
Honorary Chair, The Sapphire Project
Founder, Protect What is Precious®
Looking Ahead
We’re still early in our journey. And while we’ve been able to grow rapidly, every step we take is also a step of learning, listening, and evolving - together.
The Sapphire Project was never meant to be a one-way flow. It’s a collective journey - one where we learn from our partners, empower each other, and elevate voices that might otherwise go unheard. It’s about real connections, lasting change, and shared momentum.
As we work on our 2025 initiatives, I hold onto the belief that Earth Day shouldn’t be just one day. It should be a mindset. A lens through which we see our actions, our resources, and our relationships.
The oceans connect us all - across coastlines, cultures, and generations. That’s why we show up. That’s why we keep going.
Let’s keep showing up - for the oceans, for our communities, and for each other.
