Blue Mind
By Kirsti Scott
Elena Moiseeva/Shutterstock.com
In June 2024, the world lost a remarkable man when Wallace J. Nichols passed away. Author, marine biologist, ecologist, and change maker, Nichols was known for promoting the benefits of connecting with water, nature, and the wild animals who live there.
His research on the benefits of being near the water will not come as a surprise to beachcombers, who know the calming and centering effects of a walk on the beach. His bestseller book Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do, published in 2014, illustrates through neuroscience how proximity to oceans, lakes, and rivers can help us be more calm, less anxious, and more successful.
Nichols was a lifelong sea turtle advocate and his research spanned ocean and aquatic ecosystems, marine protected areas, and plastic pollution with special emphasis on finding creative solutions to ecological challenges. Blue Mind provided a blueprint for a better life on this blue marble called Earth.
In 2009, Nichols started the Blue Marble Project, giving away marbles as a symbol of gratitude and encouraging others to share marbles, with three simple rules:
- 1. The marble must be blue (any shade, and preferably made of recycled glass).
- When you get one, give it away to someone as a token of gratitude (whenever and wherever you like).
- Share your story with the world (however you like). Sharing a blue marble is a message of gratitude and a reminder that everything we do on this water planet matters. #bluemind
Learn more about Wallace J. Nichols and the memorial fund established to continue his work at wallacejnichols.org.
This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 44 September/October 2024
