It’s one thing to see, and yet another to commit to saving coral reefs. The latter is what Bajío, producer of blue-light filtering, sustainably made, performance sunglasses did in August when the company kicked off its Temples of Change campaign. The New Smyrna Beach, Florida-based shades maker teamed with Oceanus, A.C., a non-profit organization based in Quintana Roo, Mexico, that develops projects for coral reef conservation, and artist and fisheries biologist, Piper Nunn, to help save the coral reefs of Xcalak, Mexico, in the Western Caribbean.
“In Xcalak, The Great Mayan Reef is only a few hundred yards from the beach and is a critical part of the habitat we fish. A healthy reef means a healthy fish population, so we want to do our part to protect and renew it,” said Al Perkinson, founder of Bajío Sunglasses.
The Oceanus, A.C.-developed coral restoration program that Bajío is using for Temples of Change includes the construction of coral nurseries and the transplantation of thousands of colonies a year. To fund this, every purchase of the limited-edition Nata Permit Tail or Balam Coral Reef frames from Bajío’s newly launched Temples of Change collection results in a $20 donation to Oceanus, A.C., and one coral colony is planted and maintained. Each coral will grow up to five square meters, helping to restore vital ocean populations critical for fish habitat. www.bajiosunglasses.com
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