Giving Back 2 Nature – Earth Day 2024

Student 2 Presenter

It was great to get back into the classroom. On April 3rd, I gave three hermit crab presentations at Ralph Stearley Primary School for science night. The kids had a lot of questions, and it was a blast!

On April 15th, I presented on Okinawa’s endangered & invasive species for AP Environmental Class at Kubasaki High School. Of course, we also spoke about hermit crab conservation. I attended Kubasaki from 1989-1992. It was a blast from the past!

On April 18th, I had a live interview on the Kelly Clarkson Show regarding Earth Day 2020. It was such a fantastic experience.

THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW — Episode 7I131 — Pictured: (l-r) — (Photo by: Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal)

On April 20th, our team joined forces with Oist, Yomitan Beach Clean Network, Churamura Sea Turtle Conservation, Blue Reef Okinawa, and volunteers for a massive beach cleanup in Onna Village. Go Team Okinawa!

Please help me make a difference by supporting The MST4N Hermit Crab Conservation Project. Check out my Patreon page, MakeTheSwitch4Nature. For every supporting member, I will collect a bucket full of marine debris. Our waste is a massive problem on our beautiful shorelines.

Do you have any seashells collecting dust at home? If so, consider giving them back two nature.

  • The Mission of the #MTS4N conservation project is to spread joy, inspire change and save lives.

Click on the donation link below to help fund Shawn’s conservation projects.


Birding and Plastic Dreams by Shawn Miller

Birding is one of the most popular hobbies for all ages. I find it enjoyable and extremely relaxing. It doesn’t matter where I go on Okinawa, I seem to find beautiful animals and trash. The animals have been forced to live with our single use waste.  Below are some of my documentation photographs of animals surrounded by our waste.

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Plastic Okinawa © Shawn Miller

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Birding Okinawa © Shawn Miller

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Birding Okinawa © Shawn Miller

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Birding Okinawa © Shawn Miller

You can see how a bird could accidentally confuse single use plastic for actual fish. Now days, majority of marine birds have some form of plastic inside their stomachs.

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Plastic pollution © Shawn Miller

This Gull arrived on Okinawa February 2016 with oil residue on its feathers. It spent most of the day bathing in the salt water trying to shake of the oil.

Black-tailed gull

Birding © Shawn Miller 

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Plastic bag © Shawn Miller

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Crab trash @Shawn Miller

Jungle crow and plastic

Jungle crow and plastic

Even the endangered Okinawa rail (Gallirallus okinawae) has to deal with our waste.

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Okinawa rail (Gallirallus okinawae) © Shawn Miller

Roadside streams are a great place to photograph waterbirds. This may look like a small waterfall but it’s actually a huge piece of plastic, beautiful isn’t it?

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Plastic waterfalls © Shawn Miller

This post is not to make people sad, guilty or lose hope, It is to bring awareness to the ongoing trash problem in our oceans and on our shorelines. We all have the ability to make a difference by reducing the amount of single-use items we use daily.

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The truth hurts © Shawn Miller

Learn more about making a difference, TEDx talk | Adapting to or Changing Environment by Shawn M Miller

My Mission: To Protect and Preserve the Wildlife of the Ryukyu Islands for Future Generations. – If you would like to join my journey, check out my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/MakeTheSwitch4Nature

Your donations will help worldwide conservation initiatives as well as bring solutions to the worldwide pollution issues on our beautiful shorelines.  Thank you for your support.  Shawn M Miller.