The New England Aquarium hosted an aquatic call to action for World Ocean Day over the weekend, complete with ocean-themed activities for visitors of all ages.
Organizers used the event on Sunday to encourage others to make an environmental difference on a local level, while providing resources to help the public learn more about ocean conservation.
“The ocean is a really vital resource in our daily lives, so it’s important to at least, once a year – I mean, we do it every day here at the New England Aquarium, but at least once a year, step back, really appreciate it, evaluate what our ocean needs to ensure that it’s going to be around as that vital resource for future generations,” said Taylor Engelsman, Associate Director of Content & Evaluation at New England Aquarium.
Outside the aquarium, there were several free activities for visitors to enjoy.
“We have community organizations, business leaders, artists, educators, scientists – all here to talk a little bit about the work that they’re doing to help protect the ocean and ways that our community can get involved,” Engelsman added.
Inside was even more to enjoy, including a scavenger hunt with prizes and several presentations throughout the day highlighting the global 30 by 30 initiative, which aims to protect 30 percent of lands and oceans by 2030.
The aquarium especially worked to put a focus on how people can make an impact at the local level.
“That’s actually one thing we’re asking all of our guests today to think about – what you can do in your own community,” said Engelsman. “Because while it might feel like a small thing in a small place, all of those actions add up to a large global impact.”
If you did not get a chance to take part in the World Ocean Day event over the weekend, don’t worry – the day of action is actually on Thursday, June 8. New England Aquarium simply moved their event up so they could celebrate during the weekend.
More information on World Ocean Day can be found here.
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