|
|
Home Projects we fund 2008 2008
|
The Global Ocean Environmental Awareness Raising Workshops proposal was to raise awareness for the importance of the conservation of seas and oceans among students of public schools located close to the sea. Participation was one of the objectives of the workshop and also has based its methodological process. The aim was to bring out the students feelings related to the beach, the sea and the ocean and to raise their prior knowledge on the themes presented. Then the aim was to build new ideas collectively based on their knowledge and on new information, contextualized to their reality. In the end the students should reflect on the subjects discussed, create conservation proposals for the seas and oceans and create artistic drawing panels, fomenting their imagination and creativity about the oceans.
The lack of previous bond with
the classes was a challenge. It was necessary to build a trusting
relationship right in the workshop beginning, in a few minutes, and
attain the students� interest and attention. Another challenge was to
register the workshops, while facilitating it. The need to play the
facilitator and the photographer role at the same time was a hard task,
however the registration was possible and everything worked out well.
The articulation with the schools
was also a challenge. Many schools visited did not attend the targeted
public of the workshops, for being too distant from the sea or for
attending students of ages different from the pre-established for the
workshop. Many times the reality of the public schools in Bahia makes
the classrooms heterogenic in terms of age, as many students get late
to school and others �repeat� the school year, becoming also �late� in
relation to the school grade ideal age. Some schools visited were not
very receptive to workshop proposal, however all schools we worked
with, were receptive to the Global Ocean project immediately, and have
facilitated its development.
The Global Ocean Environmental
Awareness Raising Workshops 2008 were developed during three
consecutive days in October, in six different schools, located along
the Salvador City seashore.
Workshops' Description
Conclusion
The workshops were successful,
attaining and even overcoming its proposed goals. Most of the
collaborative institutions had shown interest in the continuation of
this type of initiative, as every extra incentive for the students
learning is welcome, especially when this impacts directly on their
environment and daily lives. It is clear however, that continuous
action and learning is necessary for the internalization of the ideas
discussed. Some of these ideas were: the human need for oceans and seas
conservation; the right for living creatures and species to survive;
the need to keep biodiversity; and everyone�s responsibility for marine
conservation. Continuous action is also necessary for the empowerment
of these students (and school community) to think and act for marine
conservation.
|
|
|
In summer 2008, artists Merrie and Edwina Ashton go to Hanover Primary School in Islington armed with containers of different types of plastic waste including bottle tops, ring-binders, bubble wrap and benecol tubs. They slap some wet, dead fish on a table surrounded by about 30 eight year old children.
The children are told that plastic is harmful and often ends in the
sea, causing the death of as many as 100,000 marine mammals each year.
Edwina performs a demo on a fish�s swim bladder and the children, split
into 2 groups, peer studiously at the fish on the table, and begin to
draw them.
Then the class is divided into smaller groups to study coloured
photocopies of marine species � a whale, a jellyfish, a shrimp, which
they learn to draw using pencil and crayons.
The children have to learn how to translate the 2-dimensional images
they have created to 3-dimensional objects using the difficult types of
plastic. They wrestle to convert this tough, hydro-carbon into an array
of marine species � their powers of observation heightened by the
drawing process beforehand. Sellotape proves essential in the
transformation process and about a dozen models of marine life, from a
whale to a jellyfish, are born.
|
|
|
An exciting time for Ocean Alliance, close to releasing the preliminary results from the Voyage of the Odyssey with an 88 page report that will be circulated worldwide.
Ocean Alliance was founded in 1971 by biologist Roger Payne. Led by Dr Payne and Chief Executive Officer Iaian Kerr, Ocean Alliance collects a broad spectrum of data on whales relating particularly to toxicology, bioacoustics, behaviour and genetics.
Working with that data we give information to policy makers, politicians, non-governmental organizations, educators and students about ocean pollution and the health of sea life, especially marine mammal populations. Our data is the basis of many conservation success stories.
Our longstanding scientific partner is the Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology who conduct state-of-the-art research aimed at understanding how environmental toxicants affect the health of humans and marine animals.
This mission is accomplished through the pursuit of a number of key objectives, including conducting innovative and multidisciplinary research in toxicology and molecular epidemiology to further our understanding of disease in humans and marine organisms, particularly as they relate to cancer, asthma and reproductive / developmental effects.
A key component to this work is the development of ‘Cell lines’ from different species we encounter. To develop a cell line one needs the freshest sample possible – ie the sample needs to be taken from the animal and put into culture within 24 hours. In most cases the Odyssey is more than 24 hours from a cell line laboratory, and this is often compounded by delays created by new international regulations involving the transportation of living cells across international borders.
To solve this problem the Ocean Alliance is building what might be the first ever cell line laboratory at sea. With this floating laboratory samples can be collected and put into culture within hours. “The opportunities presented by this laboratory are enormous”, say Dr Wise.
The first comprehensive report from the Voyage will soon be sent to over 2,500 people and all those involved with the voyage. While the Odyssey visited over 120 ports and 22 countries - many of these countries / people do not know how the work that they did fits into the bigger picture. |
|
|
Global Ocean is funding 2 satellite tags to go on basking sharks to be tagged in the waters around the Isle of Man, organised by The Manx Wildlife Trust. Weather permitting the sharks will be tagged in late June/early July as they inhabit the waters around the Isle of Man during summer.
Following the Manx Wildlife Trust’s research tagging work on basking sharks last year, it has been concluded that transoceanic migration is a normal feature of basking shark biology; that their genetic diversity is low and that their small estimate population size of 8200 individuals worldwide, demands moves to put in place a global conservation strategy.
For more information, visit their website on www.manxbaskingsharkwatch.com
You might also want to look at the" Transatlantic migration and deep mid-ocean diving bybasking shark" Report (PDF).
|
|
|
Some years ago Deborah Burton's father, former-whaler John Burton, developed a relationship with the Lamalerans, the last remaining whalers who hunt sperm whales by hand. Their conversations were focussed on exploring ways to help the community develop and John offered to help in this effort. Deborah visited Lamalera in July 2007 to raise the possibility of whale and dolphin watching, and to that end, the community supported the idea to bring a whale-watch workshop to the island.
Deborah joined with Erich Hoyt, a world expert on whale watching, to organise the workshop. The Lamalera Project, funded to date by Global Ocean with WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, Humane Society International, the Greenpeace Educational Trust and the International Institute for Environment & Development (IIED), offers an opportunity for the people of Lamalera to develop a community-owned, sustainable whale and dolphin watching company as part of a larger effort towards self-reliance for this remote island community. |
|
| |
|
|