The Creation.

About the owner, Arles Dupont

I grew up on a small barrier island in South Jersey. Through the sport of surfing, I fell in love with the ocean at a very young age. My passions have always revolved around water, which influenced my decision to enroll at Stockton University, where I majored in Biology / Marine Biology and minored in Holistic Health. After completing my degree, I decided to embark on an adventure and become a yoga teacher.  In 2014 I completed my first Yoga Teacher Training in Mexico, sparking another passion of mine, travel.

Travel has played a huge role in my life. From 2013 to current, I spend my winters in various locations soaking up the culture and embracing new experiences. The concept for ‘Āina came into existence in 2020 when I was living on Oahu, Hawaii. I was extremely inspired by the reverence and respect Hawaiians had for their land and in Hawaiian that reverence towards the land is known as Aloha ‘Aina.  The Hawaiian way of life helper me to become more connected to the land and all of its offerings and I wanted to spread that same spirit and connection that I formed to my community back home. Living in an area surrounded by water and beautiful coastal landscapes, it’s easy to see the negative effects trash has on the land and waterways. The sustainable, eco friendly mindset is spreading in South Jersey but, there is still much we can do to improve and I believe the way to do that is through education and accessibility.

I began implementing zero waste practices about 5 years ago by slowly swapping out single use plastic items in my home for more long lasting sustainable items. In my journey to waste less, I became a more mindful shopper. I started making sure to remember my reusable coffee cups, ditched the plastic water bottles, and refused plastic bags. I also began to research different brands and their values and ethics - to figure out how to cut out monopoly corporations that didn’t seem to have the planet or my best intentions in mind. I knew I was doing good and in turn I felt good.. and that’s how I want you to feel.

My goal for ‘Aina is to make zero waste as easy and accessible as possible, so we can effortlessly do our part in giving back to the land that gives so much to us.

 

xx.

Arles Dupont