In the Same Boat

Last week we visited the nearby Arctic Salmon Center, where we accidentally met a small group of people who were there for a business meeting. It turned out that they were the crew of In the Same Boat, a Norwegian NGO, who were visiting our village for a few days.

In the Same Boat is a professional beach cleaning organization, that works with seven boats along the extensive Norwegian coast all year round. Since 2015, they have collected over 1,250 tonnes of plastic - that's the equivalent weight of eight diesel locomotives, or the weight of 65.5 millions of plastic bottles. They plan to clean 20,000 beaches by 2025. Due to a lack of sufficient funds the only way they can stay afloat is with the help of volunteers. On this project there were helpers from Switzerland, France and Norway. We have also met the founder Rolf, and Anna from Austria, the skipper of their sailboat Fonn.

They invited us on board for a chat and a nice cup of tea. We exchanged volunteering stories, talked about the challenges they face, and how they managed to grow from an idea into such an impactful organization. Rolf also talked about the massive amounts of data they collect on a daily basis, and how they track their progress on the map. We discussed opportunities for collaboration, and ways in which we could support their work from the coast.

We are very glad to have met these amazing people. It feels like we were just in the right place at the right time. The number of hours and effort they dedicate to cleaning the coast is immense, and we really hope to be able to contribute in the future. If you have a few minutes, please watch their introduction below.