Performance Eyewear Company Teams Up With Oceanus, A.C. & Artist Piper Nunn To Restore Coral Reefs In Mexico
New Smyrna Beach, FL (August, 25th 2022) – Bajío, maker of blue-light filtering, sustainably-made, performance sunglasses built to save the world’s saltwater flats and estuaries, is proud to announce a new partnership in their sustainability journey. Starting this month, Bajío has teamed up with Oceanus, A.C., a non-profit organization based in Quintana Roo, Mexico that develops projects for the conservation of coral reefs, and artist Piper Nunn to help save the coral reefs of Xcalak, Mexico one coral at a time. With every purchase of the Nato Permit Tail or Balam Coral Reef frames from Bajío’s newly launched Temples of Change collection, a $20 donation is made 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.
The coral restoration program that Bajío is using for Temples of Change was developed by Oceanus, A.C., and includes the construction of coral nurseries and the transplantation of thousands of colonies a year. The program includes the identification of genetic material from healthy donor patches to increase diversity in restoration sites. The program also promotes the resilience and natural resistance of populations to local stressors, and those caused by climate change.
“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. Earlier this year, Perkinson connected with Nunn on how Bajío was sponsoring reef restoration in Xcalak and asked Nunn if she’d be interested in creating artwork to support a campaign called Temples of Change, an effort to raise money for coral planting efforts by Oceanus, A.C. Thus began the Temples of Change collaboration with Nunn.
“Without healthy coral reefs, fish lose their habitat,” explains Nunn, who is an artist and fisheries biologist. “These coral designs help keep ocean conservation top of mind while taking tangible action to restore our coral reefs.” Nunn painted two ocean-inspired designs for Bajío’s Temples of Change campaign. One is a fish-focused design featuring repeating Permit tails on the inside arms of the Nato frame, and one is a habitat-focused design featuring beautiful Sea Fan Coral for the women’s Balam frame. “I wanted to create designs based around coral reefs. Because Permit are dependent on coral for habitat, I wanted to portray the stark reality that without coral reefs, there are no Permit”. As for the coral design, Nunn was inspired by ferns on a different trip. “At the time I created the artwork, I was doing an internship in Alaska, walking around beautiful fern-lined trails. Sea fan coral looks like underwater ferns, so that’s why I chose that type of coral for my design.” Nunn hopes to continue to create more art with a purpose for Bajío, and create more art with a purpose for Bajio in the future.
These limited edition sunglasses from the temples of change collection are available in either prescription or non-prescription lenses at bajiosunglasses.com/collections/temples-of-change. Carbon neutral from inception, Bajío’s sunglasses are made with sustainability at the forefront, and complement banner days on the flats and beyond. For more information on all Bajío lens options, visit www.bajiosunglasses.com/pages/technology.
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About Oceanus, A.C.:
Oceanus, A.C. is a Mexican non-profit organization based in Quintana Roo, Mexico that develops projects for the conservation of coral reefs. Gaby and Miguel have been conducting research, monitoring, and actively restoring coral reefs for well over a decade planting upwards of 70,000 coral colonies since inception. To learn more about
Oceanus, A.C. and the work they’re doing to protect the ocean habitats please visit Oceanus, A.C..org.mx/en/front-page-english.
About Piper Nunn
Piper is the artist & fisheries biologist that worked with Bajío sunglasses on this project. She’s currently running her own art business and recently graduated from OSU with a degree in Fisheries Biology. She’s an avid fly-fisher, artist, adventurer, and lover of the outdoors. For more information about Piper and her work, please visit www.pipernunn.art.
About Bajío
Spanish for “the shallows”, Bajío, an independent and employee-owned company, strives to improve the quality of life for the world’s saltwater flats & estuaries, the ecosystems they support, and the communities that depend on them. Bajío sunglasses are hand-assembled in New Smyrna Beach, FL made with sustainability at the forefront, using plant-based materials in their frames, and high-quality proprietary lenses built to filter out the bad and enhance the good. Follow along at Bajiosunglasses.com and on Facebook and Instagram at @Bajíosunglasses for the latest news and updates on their quests to save the ocean, one flat at a time. To learn more about Bajío Sunglasses and see the full lineup of their Temples of Change Collection visit their website at bajiosunglasses.com.
