Parker Richardson
Grant Strategy
Portland, Maine
she, her, hers
How do you spend your days? What are your passions? What is your occupation?
On my best days, I wake up and write my dreams down and stretch and meditate and go for an ocean dip, or surf if I can. My days are pretty food-centered. Currently, I'm involved with a few different communities professionally (service work, art world, business support, grant writing!) and am always seeking ways to contribute to my community. I'm passionate about community resilience and in the past that has taken form as my involvement in food systems. Recently I've been thinking about how my longterm goal is to figure out how seaweed can be applied as a solution to food insecurity, especially in an ocean state like Maine.
Explain your connection to the ocean. How does it influence your life?
I feel so at home in the water and so lucky to live near it. It is a source of joy, calm, and ferocity that makes me feel connected to the world and its extremes. It makes me curious to learn more about its forces, systems, and organisms. It connects me with others who feel similarly. The ocean is a dear and unpredictable friend!
The mission of Saltwater Classroom is to bring together young students, as well as learners of all ages, through an innovative approach to ocean education. How does this apply to your experience?
I didn't have formal ocean education until I sought it out. I often wonder where I'd be had I realized my passion for the ocean extended beyond beach days as a kid. So I'm excited that Saltwater Classroom represents active and necessary efforts to learn how to coexist with the ocean.
What are your earliest ocean memories?
Floating in cold water, boogie-boarding with my cousins, building sand tunnels, finding moon jellies!
If you had to pick one thing, what is your favorite aspect of the ocean? We know, it's a broad question.
Its buoyancy? Its creatures! The way it feels and makes me feel!
Is there a dream ocean destination on your list? Where would you travel to next?
I'm curious about the kelp forests of Ireland and Scotland and enticed by the warm waters of Indonesia and Central America.
Anything else to add?
I'm grateful to be involved directly with an organization that ignites my spirit!