28 February 2018

Marine education key to protecting local waters

Big beach clean-ups, snorkel days, puppet shows and Sea Scout parades will take place around the greater Wellington region during March in support of this year’s Seaweek theme of “Toiora te Moana – Toiora te Tangata – Healthy Seas, Healthy People”.

There will be at least six public beach clean ups during the week in Petone, Mahanga Bay, the Kaiwharawhara estuary, near Te Papa in Wellington Harbour, and around penguin habitats in a concerted effort to draw a link between healthy seas and healthy people.

“Most of the plastic that ends up in our oceans comes from the land, whether it’s plastic bags that have flown out of rubbish bins or cigarette butts that have washed from the pavement, down a drain and straight out to sea,” says Greater Wellington’s Seaweek co-ordinator Micheline Evans.

“Nobody wants to treat our sea as a trash can, but unintentionally, that’s what we are doing. Cleaning up our beaches is a great way to do our bit to help, but it also forces us to reflect on what we buy and where it often ends up.”

There will also be a huge variety of events designed to let young people explore what’s in their local waters and what they can find on their beaches.

“Children are increasingly aware of and concerned about issues such as marine pollution. Seaweek is a great time to support them with the skills and knowledge they need to take positive action.”

Seaweek is New Zealand’s annual national week about the sea. Hosted by the NZ Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE) and co-ordinated in the Wellington region by Greater Wellington, it focuses on learning from and about the sea by exciting and inspiring people to renew their connections with the sea! Not just for children or those involved with formal education – it’s an opportunity for everyone to better know our ocean, its habitats, characteristics and inhabitants. It runs from the 3rd to 11th of March.

The full programme can be found at http://seaweek.org.nz/

ENDS

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