ABOUT THE EAGLEBOTS
NATHAN
Nate has lived in Juneau his whole life. His favorite sport is baseball and plays catcher in little league. He likes the ocean because it is the place where he can swim, fish for halibut and salmon, and ride on boats (and sometimes get to drive).
Nate gets fired up about plastic in the ocean. "It is so annoying. It trashes the ocean. Would you want to live in a place with trash everywhere? We should completely fix it." He is excited about the project because it is a chance to help fix the problem with the ocean and not just sit around wishing it was better. "I hope I can make the ocean better," says Nate. |
RILEY
Riley was born and raised in Juneau, and his favorite sport is baseball. He plays first base, just like Anthony Rizzo (go cubs!).
Duck hunting is one of Riley's favorite hobbies. He also likes fishing for salmon and halibut and drive the dinghy around. "I think we should fix the ocean from pollution," says Riley. It's not good for the fish and birds to have all that plastic. Riley cleans up shotgun shells around Juneau so they don't harm birds and ducks and geese that he eats. Switch Your Straw will help animals survive in the ocean. |
LYDIA
Lydia was born in Juneau and she is so tough that she swims in the Pacific Ocean (with a wetsuit). She is also a blue stripe belt in Karate, so don't mess with her.
"If the ocean isn't clean, the water won't be blue and that's just weird," says Lydia. Having clean oceans helps our food chain. When smaller animals get to eat healthy food that doesn't have plastic, and then bigger animals eat those animals, and then we eat the bigger animals, we have healthier food. |
FINNAN
Finn was born in New Brunswick, Canada and lived in Maine. When Finn was 2, he moved to Southeast Alaska, Sitka then Juneau (where he plans to stay). Finn enjoys the outdoors here in southeast Alaska; especially mountain biking, camping, skiing, fishing, and watching wildlife. And, he likes to swim (but, inside unless near warm water).
Finn is concerned about plastics in the ocean because, "People rely on most of the animals that are vulnerable to floating plastic. And, plastic doesn't biodegrade quickly, which poses a threat to animals and humans!" He says, "I think this Switch Your Straw campaign is important because it takes only a week for paper to biodegrade." |
ODIN
Odin explains that he enjoys playing with his buddies, screen time, practicing judo and reading comics.
“I see water out my window every day. Water surrounds us,” he says. When asked what he enjoys doing in the water, he commented, “I like swimming in pools, at my Grandparent’s lakes in Minnesota and Ohio, the Gastineau Channel and warm water in Hawaii. Alaskan waters are cold”. Odin says, “Not to throw plastics and garbage in the water because fish eat the plastic and then they can die. It can also affect humans if they eat the fish.” When asked how plastic can affect people, Odin researched that eating plastic can affect the brain and behavior (FDA January 2010). |
HAZEL
Hazel was born in Oregon and moved to Alaska when she was four years old. Hazel also does karate, and has earned a yellow belt (don't mess with Hazel either).
Hazel likes to read, practice flips, play violin, and draw. While researching oil spills for a report last year, Hazel learned that magnetics can be used to clean up oil pollution. This project is important to Hazel because of the baby turtles that get stuck in plastic and can't grow right. Plastics also affect seabirds and fish. Hazel is excited about the project because people might actually make the switch to paper straws and reduce plastic in the ocean. |
KAIDEN
Kaiden was born in Anchorage, raised in Juneau, and spends time in Hawaii, California, and Tenakee Springs. He travels all around in the world in the summer with his mom, brother Cohen, and sometimes his grandma.
Oceans are a big part of Kaiden's life. He fishes, hunts for deer, swims, and rides boats. Kaiden likes trying to help the environment and save sea animals. Lots of people like to fish for sea animals: for fun, for sport, for food, and for selling. "I like how we are trying to help the world be a better place." |
DYLAN
Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Dylan spends a lot of time near the ocean. He loves fishing with his family in the waters of the Pacific Ocean around Juneau, and surfing in the Atlantic Ocean-- off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Dylan also enjoys playing basketball, judo, soccer, skateboarding, and snowboarding.
Dylan wants to help the environment. He is worried about how much plastic is in our oceans: "People need good, clean drinking water and whales, fish and other marine life are being harmed by all of the plastic in our oceans. This needs to stop," he says. Starting the "Switch Your Straw" campaign is important to Dylan because it is good for our environment and will help reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans. Dylan wants to help Juneau make a change! |