Latest news with #EchoesoftheDeep
Barnama
19-07-2025
- General
- Barnama
MTA, EGTB Drive Marine Conservation Through ‘Ghost Net & Beach Cleanup' Campaign In Perak
LUMUT, July 19 (Bernama) -- The 'Ghost Net & Beach Cleanup' campaign held around Teluk Nipah, Pulau Pangkor, and the waters of Pulau Sembilan has successfully raised public awareness of the dangers of abandoned fishing nets to marine life while contributing to the preservation of the marine ecosystem. The initiative, organised by the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) in collaboration with Etiqa General Takaful Berhad (EGTB) and supported by the Nature Ocean Advocate Society (NOAS), Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah (USAS) and the Perak State Parks Corporation, involved over 80 volunteers, including 50 students, 12 certified divers, 11 NOAS professional divers and representatives from relevant agencies. MTA chief executive officer Mohd Radzuan Mohamed said the campaign was aimed at raising public awareness on the importance of preserving the environment, particularly the marine ecosystem, which was under growing threat due to pollution. 'This campaign reflects the Takaful industry's commitment to environmental sustainability, in line with the Hijrah27 Transformation Plan under Strategic Thrust 8 (Sustainability & ESG), as part of efforts to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14: Life Below Water, which emphasises the conservation of marine resources. 'As a value-based industry, the Takaful sector not only protects people but also the environment. We hope this initiative will inspire more parties to incorporate sustainability into their operations,' he said when met by Bernama here today. Also present at the programme were Etiqa General Takaful Berhad chief executive officer Shahrul Azuan Mohamed, USAS vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Wan Sabri Wan Yusof and USAS deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Industry Networking) Prof Dr Shamsul Jamili Yeop. Mohd Radzuan said MTA, in collaboration with its strategic partners, would continue the conservation programme at other locations as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. He said the programme, which was a continuation of the 'Echoes of the Deep' photo exhibition launched at the AICB Knowledge Centre in Kuala Lumpur last month, had successfully removed 328 kilogrammes (kg) of ghost nets from the seabed off Pulau Sembilan. He added that more than 125 kg of rubbish, including food and drink packaging and discarded items, were collected along a one-kilometre (km) stretch of Teluk Nipah beach.
Hamilton Spectator
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
A young writer from Sault Ste. Marie gets her start writing a childrens' story
Elizabeth Maitland, 17, never expected a talking bunny to be the reason she gained new confidence as a writer. The grade 11 student from St. Mary's College is the author of a short children's story, recently published in Echoes of the Deep, a national collection of short stories written by young Canadians. Each year, Polar Expressions Publishing features the creative writing of talented students in grades 9–12. The story is about a bunny who offers life advice to a child. Maitland said it aims to teach readers a lesson that she learned throughout middle school and high school. 'I didn't have a lot of friends in middle school... I was always really socially awkward,' said Maitland. 'But I learned in high school that just talking to people and actually just being nice, even without expecting anything, makes it easier to make friends. Now, a ton of people talk to me in the halls on a daily basis.' Maitland said she recieved a lot of positive feedback, despite the genre of childrens' short stories being out of her comfort zone. 'Mostly I like to write either young adult or horror,' said Maitland, who is working on writing a novel. 'It is a 'rivals to lovers' set in a fantasy medieval time — it's a queer story as well, between a character named Royal Williams and Barry Riggs, who both came from very different backgrounds and have to break ideology for a cruel king to save their people.' While Maitland said she would love to be an author as her full-time career, she recognizes the risk involved in not having a back-up plan. 'I would love to be an author as my full career. But knowing how risky that is, to put all your eggs in that basket, because it has a lot of people are trying to get into that career, and it could be very dangerous to rely on that. So I'm you, I'm going into social work, and if my writing hits off, then we'll see where that takes me.' Maitland finds support for her creative work primarily through online spaces and her close group of friends, who often act as editors and critics. 'I'm trying to go with a more unique approach to it, so I'm seeing a lot of people who enjoy that unique approach,' she said. 'A lot of the people in my friend groups I hang out with, and some of the people I've asked to be my editors have given me critical and good feedback on how my writing is, as we always have to improve, but so far, a lot of the feedback has been positive.' Outside of writing, Maitland serves as president of her school's Indigenous Student Union. She was recently elected for her second term. 'I actually separate them a fair amount,' said Maitland when asked if her writing is inspired by her Indigenous identity. 'I don't think I've done one piece of work that's ever actually about my native culture. A lot of my works, I actually do a lot of queer stuff, because that's something I was more involved in when I was younger, and something I have a lot more experience with,' said Maitland, of Batchewana First Nation. 'A lot of people are really proud of me,' said Maitland about her first stint of publishing. 'I almost cried, but that's so far it goes. Now that I did that, it does give me the confidence to actually publish my novel once I'm done it.' Echoes of the Deep, which Maitland's story can be found in, can be bought online at Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
