Leticia Parada, bodysurfer and doctoral student, is an environmental activist-influencer for the Havaianas Praia + Limpa initiative

Known on the web for having a bodysurf channel on YouTube and for constantly moving her Instagram showing her lifestyle Linked to environmental issues, Leticia Parada was invited to be one of the environmental activist-influencers in the fifth edition of 2023 of Havaianas Praia + Limpa, this time in Itamambuca, Ubatuba, on the north coast of São Paul.

After one of her project videos went viral on social media and reached different audiences, Parada got in touch with the Havaianas brand which, after meetings took place and the brand had getting to know the project more deeply, he invited the doctoral student.

Belonging to the With the brand's circular economy agenda and recycling ecosystem, the Havaianas initiative, in partnership with Worldpackers, has the main objective of collaborating with the health of planet Earth by promoting cleaning actions on several beaches of Brazil and the world, while encouraging conversations and reflections on the circular economy and recycling, together with cooperatives and the general public. 

“I was very happy with this invitation. The opportunity encouraged me to continue working so that science is capable of breaking down barriers. I have noticed that despite increasingly advanced technologies, the scientific community still finds it difficult to publicize the science it produces. That's why I've been directing my focus and investing my time in producing videos and other content that talk about my project, especially plastic recycling, as I want science to be a better place to work. nce reaches everyone, regardless of whether it is a brand, if it is a lay person, whoever that may be. It doesn't matter. What is it? important is Science will be accessible to everyone. everyone”, says Leticia Parada.

In the Havaianas Praia + Limpa action held in Ubatuba on October 28th, approximately 25 kg of waste was removed from Itamambuca beach, much of which was plastic. After the collection, Leticia Parada told about her project for the volunteers of the beach cleaning action and the positive impact generated not only in the environmental context, but also in the social context as many people started to follow videos and collecting waste on the beaches.

“One of the things that stood out to me at the event was the sparkle in people’s eyes as they held the handplane, paraffin scraper and keychain produced. They thought it was incredible that we were removing plastic from the beaches and giving a new life and destination to what was previously called trash.”.

The fact is; that the presence of plastic on beaches and in the oceans is a problem. It is a global concern and, therefore, requires multiple solutions, not just restricted to recycling. With this, the researcher and bodysurfer's project envisages: the development of an environmental education methodology capable of stimulating the environmental perception of beachgoers, while encouraging the practice of sports. After all, sport is is a true instrument of engagement and connection between human beings and environmental problems, including the pollution of beaches by plastics, since when interacting with nature the individual tends to worry about preservation ;the environment in question, as previously proven by researchers.