ADVENTURE EDUCATION Marine Discovery in Hastings Point NSW

Kerrie Trees invited AUSMEPA guest Fred Happy Eye, the Ambassador for Keeping Our Oceans Clean, to visit the astonishing Marine Discovery Centre museum and base for Adventure Education on the north coast of New South Wales.

Situated neatly within the North Star Caravan Park in the coastal village of Hastings Point, the Marine Discovery Centre resides on the upper level of the Seascape building within the Park. The array of realia and artifact displays are quite astounding. The Centre is punctuated by several small jewel-like living tanks and the entire space is like a movie set. The coloured lighting shows off the impressive coral reef display to perfection and large projectors have a flow of fascinating underwater themes that tie into various school programs. The centre hosts school camps, field trips and diving adventures. Students are challeneged to understand threats and impacts to the marine environment. They also workshop things everyone can do to help preserve diversity and natural systems through personal action and lateral thinking.

After examining a mystery object found on the shore (above) Fred was heard to remark in his inimitable style "Where's the action!". To his delight Kerrie got him out and about amongst the mangroves, rockpools and into the surf. (We could have guessed that!)

To find out more about the Adventure Education Hastings Point Marine Discovery Centre click here.

To find out more about Fred and his world travels promoting ocean conservation visit his blog SOAR

OCEAN EVENTS 2010

It's 2010 and time to start thinking ahead about what might be fun ways to celebrate and contribute to various themed events.

2010 International Year of Biodiversity
2010 International Year of the Seafarer

January
1-30 VICTORIAN SUMMER BY THE SEA ACTIVITIES

February
2 WORLD WETLANDS DAY

March
1-7 NATIONAL SEAWEEK: Oceans of Life; ours to explore, ours to restore
2 BUSINESS CLEAN UP DAY
5 SCHOOL CLEAN UP DAY
7 CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAY8
7-13 GROUND WATER AWARENESS WEEK
15-19 INTERNATIONAL POLAR WEEK
22nd WORLD WATER DAY

April18th WORLD HERITAGE DAY
22nd EARTH DAY

May
8-9th WORLD MIGRATORY BIRD DAY
11-17th NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK
22nd INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
23rd May WORLD TURTLE DAY

June
5th WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
8th WORLD OCEAN DAY

July
4-11th NAIDOC Week
11th WORLD POPULATION DAY

August
9th INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR WORLD INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
23-29th KEEP AUSTRALIA BEAUTIFUL WEEK

September
1-31 BIODIVERSITY MONTH
7th NATIONAL THREATENED SPECIES DAY
12th SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY
18th WORLD WATER MONITORING DAY

October
4th WORLD ANIMAL DAY
5th WORLD HABITAT DAY
17-23 NATIONAL WATER WEEK

November
8-14th NATIONAL RECYCLING WEEK

December
5th INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY
6-12th COASTCARE WEEK


These are events celebrated in Australia. If you would like to contribute more please send them to me to add to the list.

Living on the Edge - Annual Marine Science Forum

Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre

Living on the Edge is the 2nd Annual Marine Science Forum and will be held on 20th & 21st March 2010 at the Eden Marine High School Hall, Eden, NSW. Presenters include:

Professor Patrick De Deckker, Associate Director Research School of Earth Sciences, ANU Presentation Title: “Deep-sea canyons offshore South Australia, taller than the Grand Canyon”

George D.F. (Buz) Wilson, Principal Research Scientist, Australian Museum
Presentation Title: “Untold numbers of species: Isopod Crustaceans on the deep-sea floor”

Dr John Paxton, Senior Fellow, Australian Museum, Sydney
Presentation Title: “Deep Sea Fishes: lanternfishes to whalefishes extraordinary animals in the world’s largest habitat”

Dr Rachel Przeslawski, Geoscience Australia
Presentation Title: “Life in the Intertidal Zone”

Professor Bill Maher, University of Canberra
Presentation Title: “How Pristine is the Pristine South Coast?”

Simon Mustoe (CEnvP, MEIANZ). Director, AES Applied Ecology Solutions.
Presentation Title: “Why I should give a flying f**sh, about what happens to seabirds off the Sapphire Coast!”

For more information click here

AUSTRALIA'S NATIONAL SEAWEEK

National Seaweek is a longtime tradition with schools around Australia and AUSMEPA is a proud sponsor of the Marine Education Society of Australasia (MESA).

This year the theme is OCEANS OF LIFE; ours to explore, ours to restore. Seaweek is set for the first week in March 2010 although all are invited to pick up and take it further at any time of the year.

On the website you will find some interesting general information about oceans, who owns the sea and what are major threats to it. Healthy oceans are vital to our health. The Big Blue provides us with important environmental services and one of those is production of most of the oxygen that allows people to breathe!

I highly recommend that you take a good look at the articles and fact sheets available on the MESA website: www.mesa.edu.au There is still time to put your thinking cap on and create an activity to celebrate our Oceans of Life. What will you do?

SUMMER BY THE SEA along the coast of VICTORIA

Every once in awhile somebody comes up with a brilliant idea and the timing is right so that it actually is born despite the pitfalls of bureaucracy. In 1995 a state government program, Coast Action, introduced an innovative program using established community expertise to interact with the public. It aimed to raise awareness and highlight action for marine and coastal conservation on a rather grand scale. Taking advantage of summer school holidays when most families are out enjoying some time in the sun the Summer by the Sea program was put into place.

Formula for success? You betcha and soon the national program CoastCare joined with Coast Action to make it even better, offering even more opportunities and extra support for community groups. Most activities are provided for free or for a minimal charge.

Although Summer by the Sea has gone through many iterations large and small this gem of an idea has provided thousands of families with a host of wonderful opportunities to get out and learn about their local environments. The concept has drawn on the expertise and action of private contractors and active environmental community associations to deliver wide ranging activities that anyone can participate in. Having fun and learning about the ocean and coasts for free, could there be anything better?

If you are in Victoria during January 2010 you should go out of your way to take the family along and have some fun while supporting this excellent initiative. If you live somewhere else you should be asking why you don't have a similar program!

For the full booklet of Summer by the Sea January 2010 activities click here

To speak with a Coast Action/CoastCare facilitator click here

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online

photo from Dolphin Research Institute

Excerpt from the article by Times Online
"Dolphins have been declared the world’s second most intelligent creatures after humans, with scientists suggesting they are so bright that they should be treated as “non-human persons”.

"Studies into dolphin behaviour have highlighted how similar their communications are to those of humans and that they are brighter than chimpanzees. These have been backed up by anatomical research showing that dolphin brains have many key features associated with high intelligence."

"The researchers argue that their work shows it is morally unacceptable to keep such intelligent animals in amusement parks or to kill them for food or by accident when fishing. Some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die in this way each year."

As you might guess this article has pricked up the ears of more than a few folk. Do animals have to be intelligent to warrant our attention? Does being 'smart' provide a protection/shield for our flippered friends? Does intelligence define what needs to be conserved?

Whatever your opinion on dolphins it is important to remember that as long as we are committed to finding and using sustainable solutions for healthy oceans then we are protecting the environment that we both need in order to exist.

If you want to know more about dolphins you might like to contact the following marine education organisations in Australia:
Dolphin Discovery (Western Australia) Adopt a dolphin
Dolphin Research Institute (Victoria) Adopt a dolphin

To Save Our Planet, Save the Seas

To Save the Planet, Save the Seas a New York Times article by DAN LAFFOLEY Published: December 26, 2009 and highlighted to us by a terrific blog site Oceanic Defense.

In the article Dan articluates some positive progress in Copenhagen with the Reducing Emissions From Deforestation and Forest Degradation program. He expands on the value of using the power of nature and its environmental services to solve some of our problems. It is important to keep this awakening going with our friends, neighbours and whomever will listen.

I'm also reminded that this article echoes many words we've already heard from Dr Sylvia Earle, New York Times, Hero for the Planet Ocean. You might like to become one of Dr Earle's friends or fans on Facebook