Michele Klimczak is a lone figure as she traverses the shores of Fishers Island clearing marine debris for FIConservancy. This video is a gift from filmmaker Marisela La Grave to Michele and FIConservancy.

Marisela La Grave is a New York-based multimedia artist, producer, filmmaker and environmentalist, currently living on Fishers Island year-round. She created an eight-minute video, Oceanica 2020, as a personal present to the Fishers Island Conservancy.

“This video is a thank you note to FIConservancy for the joy its conservation efforts bring to Islanders throughout the year,” Marisela said.

“It started last summer when I met Michele Klimczak, who is employed by FIConservancy for marine debris cleanup. I was so impressed by her environmental passion, and that of her collaborators, that I wanted to create this video as a way of honoring and acknowledging them.”

The video follows Michele as she works to clear marine debris and explains what it takes to do her job.

“As a year-round resident, I’d very much like to inspire collaborations with like-minded people and organizations in the region, such as FIConservancy, and continue to produce videos and create online campaigns that may help educate and inspire all generations.”

“It would be great to see Fishers Island turn into a model of environmental and oceanic conservation,” Marisela said.