Every now and then, I discover someone who I want to be when I grow up. Ana Borrero is one of those people. She lives the Nordic values of sustainability, community, family, and good old common sense.
Ana Borerro always wanted to be a scientist. When her parents granted her 8th birthday wish for a microscope, she says , “I was the happiest girl in the world!” After studying marine science in Cadiz, Spain, she moved to Trondheim, Norway, for a post-doctoral position at the university there. At home, Ana and her husband Cesar were running their own little environmental/craft experiment: she figured out how to make artisan olive oil soap from used cooking oil. But when the demands of teaching began to interfere with family life, Ana decided to take a position as environmental research coordinator with Seaweed Solutions, a Norwegian company that takes seaweed from the “hatchery” to finished product and supplies growing lines to other seaweed farmers along the Norwegian coast.
To me, Ana and her fellow seaweed farmers are modern-day Vikings, innovating and exploring new frontiers in such a common-sense Nordic way. They’re working in harmony with the sea to produce seaweed for food, cosmetics, and biofuels and bioplastics that can be alternatives to petroleum. (I’ve woven with silky Seacell fiber made from seaweed, so maybe Ana will be helping to clothe us someday, too.) At the same time, cultivating seaweed captures CO2 from the atmosphere. It’s good for the farmers, good for consumers, and good for the planet.
The other reason I love this video, is that it was created by my friend Jeff Seibert, the videographer I’ve worked with on many weaving videos over the years. Jeff is an amazing story teller and craftsman. So you’re in the mood for a feel-good story or looking for what to be when you grow up, check out the video from the World Wildlife Fund.