#162 How Citizen Divers Built Sydney’s Living Ocean Trail with Sam Baxter and John Rowe

A grassroots vision beneath the wavesIn a quiet corner of Sydney’s coastline, a chain links more than just concrete anchors—it connects community, conservation, and curiosity. Beneath the surface of Gordon’s Bay lies one of Australia’s most distinctive citizen-led marine projects: an underwater nature trail built not by institutions, but by passionate divers.For Sam Baxter, the ocean has long been a place of fascination. Originally from the UK, Sam’s move to Australia was driven in part by the promise of clearer, warmer waters. After a career in IT, retirement opened the door to deeper involvement in diving and marine conservation.Alongside him is John Rowe, whose connection to the water stretches back to childhood. From snorkelling in a country-town pool to discovering the writings of early diving pioneers, John’s lifelong passion would eventually anchor one of Sydney’s most enduring marine initiatives.More Informationhttps://www.gordonsbayscubadiving.com/https://www.facebook.com/GordonsBaySCUBADivingClubhttps://www.instagram.com/gordonsbayscuba/https://www.youtube.com/@GordonsBay-GBSDChttps://www.sydneydivewreck.com.au/https://www.facebook.com/SydneyDiveWreckIf you enjoy this podcast, please like and subscribe to our show wherever you get your podcasts.Leave us a review and share this show with your friends.It really helps us to reach more citizen scientists, like you.Contact the ShowWe are always looking for more guests to tell us about interesting citizen science projects, research and events.You can email us at: [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.