Welcome to the Ocean Action Page!
In this community you will find the activities, resources, and dialogues between youth across Canada and around the world - who have collaborated to make a difference in their communities, their schools and their countries. With the guidance of expert mentors as well as communicating with each others, youth around the world are taking up the challenge of conservation and impacting the world around them.
Explore through the different initiatives and see how much these incredible young leaders care about their world, their oceans and their communities.
Continuing the Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue
Last fall, Ocean Wise and Return-It partnered to create the Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue. This dialogue encouraged participants to engage their communities - both locally and provincially – towards the creation of a vision for the future of zero waste in BC.
The objective of this program was to foster conversations about how BC's youth envision the future of environmental health and sustainability in their province - with the objective of inspiring change throughout their local schools, communities, and cities with a specific focus on the complex and constantly developing subject of Plastics.
Although the synchronous component of the dialogue has ended, a version of the course tailored for independent use by educators is now available for open access and can be found in the assignments section on the left-hand side of this page. We encourage educators to utilize all the available activities, resources, and video recordings and help us continue this dialogue by sharing your class’s projects, reflections and ideas on the blog and discussion sections of the course!
Our Education Team will continue to engage with students in the online classroom and provide feedback on their submissions. We will also be available to support teachers and answer any questions they may have about the course or material.
This course is designed to run over six weeks, with each week exploring a different aspect of our plastics conundrum. The course encourages student inquiries that will deepen their understanding of this multi-sided environmental issue, complimented by the testimony of regional experts and stakeholders who discuss their roles and experiences in the plastics sector. By collaboratively contributing to this online classroom, you will further a dialogue that will continue to foster direct action inspired by youth.
We look forward to adding your class’s ideas to this evolving dialogue!
Please register with us to participate in the online classroom: Online.Learning@ocean.org
If you have any questions about the online classroom, please read the FAQs page or email online.learning@ocean.org
Share your experiences and thoughts: @OceanWise, @OceanWiseEdu, #OceanWise and @Return_It
In The News: New conservation program educating students on impacts of plastic waste
Posted by Danika on 4 Dec 2020“This new program is acknowledging that there’s a larger issue at play and so it’s really important to provide an opportunity for dialogue, especially for young people because the impacts of plastics and the challenges for our marine environment are things we’ll have to live with,” says Allen Langdon, presidents and CEO of Return-It.
New conservation program educating students on impacts of plastic waste (citynews1130.com)
In The News: Return-It & Ocean Wise Collaborate with BC Schools to Close the Loop on Plastic
Posted by Danika on 1 Dec 2020Check out the latest blog Return-It & Ocean Wise Collaborate with BC Schools to Close the Loop on Plastic | Return-It Blog | Encorp Pacific (Canada) (return-it.ca)
Laura Hardman leads the Plastic Free Oceans strategy at Ocean Wise. She manages our plastics program and brings together fantastic initiatives including the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean Up, Plastics Wise and The Microfiber Partnership in pursuit of our ambitious 2030 targets and ultimately to protect from the threat of plastic pollution. Laura has an LLB in Law and studied MSC Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability, as a post graduate, at Birkbeck University of London. Since starting a career in sustainability in 2011, Laura has worked for a number of multi-national corporations and become increasingly passionate about the theory systems change and impact metrics. Most of all she believes that we all have a role to play, and that we can all be a force for good.
Next week's challenge is all about the positive impact YOU can have. Start your COMMUNITY WASTE AUDIT for next week's discussion!
Julia Wakeling is the Outreach Coordinator for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. She creates relationships with community groups, non-profits and youth organizations, helping them to contribute citizen science data to Shoreline Cleanup’s national network of litter and marine debris information. With a Bachelor of Arts in geobiology and sustainability from the University of British Columbia, she has worked as a researcher with the US Forest Service and other groups. She is a certified Master Recycler. Julia grew up on the beach in California and BC, and is passionate about creating lasting environmental change in coastal ecosystems.
Start sharing your questions for Laura Hardman by clicking "post reply" on the discussion thread HERE
Return It President & CEO, Allen Langdon returned with Corporate Communications & Stakeholder Relations Director, Baljit Lalli to discuss their new coffee cup program and inspire innovation in recycling.
Thank you for all that could join us live, recording below and in the gallery
This Week:
Start sharing your questions for Julia Wakeling by clicking "post reply" on the discussion thread HERE
Evaluate what recycling looks like while doing so Myth Busting of your own
Investigate where plastic pollution is coming from and how moves around the globe with Pollution Tracker
Ideate and Innovate with the Design Thinking Product Challenge
Ready for Week 2 of the Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue!
We welcomed Ocean Wise Environmental Technologist, Mathew Watkins, to speak about his work on microplastics produced by home laundry and their effects on the environment. Thank you to everyone that submitted questions for Mathew. You can see his response in the video gallery.
This week is focused on the Problem: Plastic Pollution and using Design Thinking as our framework to finding innovative solutions.
Week 3's Ask an Expert is welcoming Return It President & CEO, Allen Langdon, back . He will be sharing a behind the scenes look at their coffee cup recycling pilot and the benefits of a reusable program. What questions do you have for Allen? Head to the discussion thread and hit "post reply" to send us your questions before Sunday Nov 8. See what innovations in textile recycling that Return It is working on and how this connects to Mathew's work.
Evaluate what recycling looks like while doing so Myth Busting of your own
Investigate where plastic pollution is coming from and how moves around the globe with Pollution Tracker and Shoreline Cleanup's Litter data map
Ideate and Innovate with the Design Thinking Product Challenge
To help spread the word about the Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue, Ocean Wise and Return It are getting out in the media. We want photos of you in action! Please grab a copy of our PHOTO RELEASE FORM, get it signed by your parent/guardian and email the signed copy to your teacher or directly to online.learning@ocean.org
Mathew joined Ocean Wise as a Student Research Assistant from BCIT in 2017 and continues to work with the Plastics Lab. He is currently based at the Annacis Research Centre, where he conducts research on microfibre pollution at a major source — laundry washing machines. He holds a BTech in Environmental Engineering from BCIT and a BSc in General Science from the University of British Columbia.
Areas of Expertise
- Microfibre pollution
- Water quality
- Air quality
Start sharing your questions for Allen Langdon by clicking "post reply" on the discussion thread HERE
Welcome to week 1 of the Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue!
We are so excited to have Return It President and CEO, Allen Langford, to introduce who Return It is and what a circular economy means. Thank you to everyone that submitted questions for Allen. You can see his response in the video gallery.
As we dive deeper into what it means to "foster a world where nothing is waste" we want to find out what do you know about the 4 R's (Yes 4! Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) and what would you like to know?
Week 2's Ask an Expert is Ocean Wise Environmental Technologist, Mathew Watkins . He conducts research on microfibre pollution at a major source — laundry washing machines! What questions do you have for Mathew? Head to the discussion thread and hit "post reply" to send us your questions before Sunday Nov 1. See what innovations in textile recycling that Return It is working on
Discover the Ocean Wise Plastic Lab and how plastic of all shapes and sizes are impacting aquatic ecosystems.
Explore the waste your household produces with a Personal Waste Audit and see how it compares to youth across the province.
Learn what recycling looks like in BC. What is working and what should we be working on?
What’s the scariest part about Halloween? The ghoulish costumes? The frightening films? The impending sugar crash? For us – it’s the waste.
As we head into Halloween weekend we challenge you to make it #HallowGREEN. Find tips and tricks to reduce your waste on our AquaBlog or share your ideas with us here on the discussion board, Twitter @OceanWiseEdu or Instagram @OceanWiseYouth
Week 1: Ask the expert! What does closing the loop on Plastics look like to CEO, Allen Langford?
Posted by Danika on 27 Oct 2020
Allen Langdon
President and CEO, Encorp Pacific (Return-It)
www.returnit.ca
As the President and CEO of Encorp Pacific (Canada), Allen oversees the most successful used beverage container management program in Canada with a mandate to develop, manage and improve systems to recover used packaging and end-of-life products from consumers and ensure that they are properly recycled and not land-filled or incinerated. Through its collection network consisting of 168 privately owned Return-It depots, 3 Express & GO stations, and 1 Return-It Express Plus location, Encorp Pacific has routinely exceeded a 75% recovery rate for used beverage containers in British Columbia while at the same time developing a collection network that has become the backbone for a number of other recycling programs around the province.
Prior to joining Encorp Pacific, Allen served as the Managing Director for Recycle BC, the first 100% Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program for paper and packaging in North America where industry assumed full financial and managerial responsibility for the residential recycling system.
Allen has extensive experience in sustainability and extended producer responsibility, and previously served as the VP of Sustainability for the Retail Council of Canada and the VP of Environment for the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, advancing those industries’ responses to a range of complex sustainability issues including climate change, sustainable packaging, EPR programs, and animal welfare.
Start sharing your questions for Mathew Watkins by clicking "post reply" on the discussion thread HERE
On behalf of Ocean Wise and Return It , we would like to welcome you all to the Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue. As some of British Columbia's most innovative schools, we are honoured to have you join in a dialogue over the course of the next six weeks to learn about and engage your communities, local and provincially, in the creation of a vision for the future of zero waste in BC.
The purpose of this program is to build conversations amongst the BC's youth about how they want to see the future of environmental health and sustainability cared for in the province, in order to enact change throughout their local schools, communities, and our cities. This year we will be focusing on the complex and constantly developing subject of Plastics.
Each week we will explore a different aspect of our environmental challenge. On this interactive platform we will share our results and hear from expert mentors. These inquiries will both challenge and deepen your understanding of this multi-sided environmental issue. By collaboratively contributing to this online classroom, you will create a dialogue together that will, in turn, become action.
Looking to register? Contact Online.Learning@ocean.org
To get started, please complete the following pre-activities before our first guest expert on Tuesday October 27, 2020
Creating a Profile in the Virtual Classroom
Discover Your Relationship with Plastic
Share questions for our guest expert, Allen Langdon, CEO of Return IT
Share questions for our guest expert, Allen Langdon, CEO of Return IT
If you have any questions about the online classroom, please read through the FAQs page
We will be discussing the use of this space and the purpose of the dialogue more in detail when we first meet. If you have any questions in the meantime you may post them to this discussion forum, and one of the facilitators or your peers will be able to help.
Welcome to the
Closing the Loop on Plastics Youth Dialogue. We can't wait to get started!
Share your experiences and thoughts @OceanWise, @OceanWiseEdu, #OceanWise and @Return_It
Kick-off the school year in style with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants and celebrate amazing biodiversity! Everyone can participate in the #BackyardBio
Learn how you can take part and share your student's discoveries with the world https://backyardbio.net
We can't wait to see what you will find!
In an effort to increase your understanding about the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and encourage your direct involvement in the implementation of the UN Decade, you are invited to participate in the #DrawYourDecade campaign.
#DrawYourDecade is a youth outreach and engagement activity designed to educate and involve young people in the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Decade). The goal of this campaign is to draw out young people’s collective priorities for the next ten years of the ocean. Ultimately, these priorities will be incorporated into the planning and implementation of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development - what you draw here could have direct implications for how the Decade is executed!
Specifically, #DrawYourDecade aims to draw out your priorities related to the seven goals of the Ocean Decade: (1) a clean ocean; (2) a healthy and resilient ocean; (3) a productive ocean; (4) a predicted ocean; (5) a safe ocean; (6) an accessible ocean; and (7) an inspiring and engaging ocean.
Using whatever creative means available (paper and pencil, collages, computer graphics, etc.), you will create an image of your priorities for the ocean over the period of the Decade, answering the question, “what do you want the ocean to look like in ten years?”. Your artistic abilities don’t matter! It’s about demonstrating your interests and passions about the ocean.
In addition to your illustration, you’ll need to write two short summaries (3-4 sentences) of your illustration: the first using whatever language you choose, and the second using only the 1,000 most common words in the American English language (as found in The Up-Goer Five library).
By following the step-by-step instructions below, you’ll learn more about these seven overarching goals and be able to contribute to a discussion about creating the ocean we need, for the future we want through the #DrawYourDecade campaign.
Full instructions HERE
Share your artwork in the Gallery
Submit your artwork in the Google Form
After today's presentation Vienna Pozer share the launch of the Canadian Youth Biodiversity Network (www.cybn.ca).
I thought it may be of interest to the group as CYBN aims to be a networking platform connecting youth all over Canada to work on the common goal of biodiversity conservation. Their mission is “Empowering Canadian youth of all backgrounds through collaboration and sharing resources in a participatory network on the issues concerning biological diversity in Canada for the well-being of nature and future generations.”
We reach out to CYBN members ahead of Canadian Biodiversity Decade meetings to get their views on Canada’s positions.
Thanks Vienna!
In link with the UN Oceans Decade in 2021, Little Inventors is launching with NSERC and CCUNESCO “Mission: Protect our oceans”.
This mission is open to all elementary and secondary school students across Canada and is recommended to up to grade 9 students or ages 14 to 15 years. Young inventors can submit their entries by Sunday, December 20, 2020. The challenge is supported by FREE resource packs for teachers to present the challenge of projecting our oceans to students.
https://nserc.littleinventors.org/collections/mission-protect-our-oceans
Please share with your networks!
Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson
Program Officer, Education | National ASPnet Coordinator
Chargée de programme, Éducation | Coordonnatrice nationale du réSEAU
613-239-2048| 1-800-263-5588 ext.| poste 5567
150 Elgin Street | rue Elgin, PO Box | CP 1047 Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
en.ccunesco.ca | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Thank you for a successful Writer's Retreat!
Everyone has done a fantastic job getting 760+ survey responses. Our goal for this year's program is to engage 5,000 youth across the country with #biodiversity2020 and #oceandecade.
We are looking to you as leaders in your school and community to continue to encourage your schools to fill out the survey and engage in social media. Every voice matters.
Remember there is also the Engaging the Community Through Social Media, and the Discussion Forum with resources to help you.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at rachael.bell-irving@ocean.org and Sarah at sarah@takingitglobal.org
Thank you for a very inspiring Town Hall!
Sharing the survey, your thoughts and highlights throughout the day and the week continues to amplify this important message of Canadian Biodiversity and the importance of a youth voice in the Decade of Ocean Science. #OceanWiseSpeaks @OceanWise @CGEducation
@FishOceansCAN (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) is part of the conversation
Below are a few bullets on what Canada’s commitment to the UN Decade is (to date):
Canada’s Commitment to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
- Through a $9,500,000 financial investment, Canada has committed to supporting the UN Decade of Ocean Science by:
- Advancing ocean science and increasing our knowledge and expertise;
- Hosting the North Atlantic Regional Workshop with the Ocean Frontier Institute (January 7-10, 2020; Halifax);
- Promoting gender equity in ocean science;
- Establishing a project office to serve as a focal point for planning, promotion, and coordination of UN Decade activities; and
- Supporting developing countries and small island states’ participation in the UN Decade.
- Supporting the UN Decade aligns with Canada’s other domestic and international ocean science priorities, including the 2030 Agenda/SDGs and our role as a Commonwealth Blue Charter Champion.
Find out more https://www.oceandecade.org/as...
Your participation today and this week will get youth a seat at the table.
National Town Hall is this coming Monday!
Monday Nov. 18, 9am-12pm PT/ 12-3pm ET
- Link :https://zoom.us/j/505867520
- Agenda: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13_pND-tkx-qC-IB50m6k8jQq8cRvRxbclhu0QyKLx3s/edit?usp=sharing
See you there,
Sarah
Good Morning/Afternoon Everyone! The Virtual Town Hall is only ONE WEEK AWAY (cue crazy excitement).
We have updated the information on the "5B. Virtual Town Hall November 18th" page, with the full agenda and more ideas on how you can engage with your school given differing time zones and schedules. Remember there is also the Engaging the Community Through Social Media, and the Discussion Forum with resources to help you.
It is never too early to prepare, so make sure you are starting those conversations now.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at rachael.bell-irving@ocean.org and Sarah at sarah@takingitglobal.org
Happy Friday Everyone! The National Town Hall s coming up on November 18th! The day will come up very quickly, and the long weekend is a good opportunity to start brainstorming your plan of attack for the day.
There are lots of ways that you may structure your Virtual Town Hall to reach the maximum outreach and engagement possible. A powerful tool is social media and, while many of you may be familiar with the platforms, utilizing these platforms for the purpose of activism and industry is a little bit different than using it for personal purposes. The conversation does not start and stop on the 18th. It can be activated pre and post-event in order to achieve maximum engagement and get your message out to the world.
We have started a blog about utilizing social media for the Virtual Town Hall. Check it out, add your experiences in the comments, and contribute your hashtags and handles so we can all connect with each other before, during, and after the event.
Hi Everyone,
Thank you to everyone who joined live in the meeting today, and to those who will watch it later.
As mentioned, the Virtual Town Hall is on November 18th and this is our chance to gather as many voices and opinions from peers as possible. Now is also the prime time to start planning your Town Hall Event.
We have created a discussion thread for prepping for the Town Hall. Here we can share some planning tips, as well as ask each other questions as we start to prepare for the event.
Remember that the National Youth Survey on Biodiversity is also an important piece of evidence that will help inform the final report of this project. Complete it, share it out, or make it a part of your Town Hall event with your peers.
Happy long weekend, and stay connected.
Our national youth survey is ready! Please get it out to your friends, classmates, club-members, etc, and get AS MANY RESPONSES AS POSSIBLE!
http://bit.ly/BiodiversityYouth
(or direct google for link: https://forms.gle/gtFziJ3kWxyf...)
Our national youth survey is ready! Please get it out to your friends, classmates, club-members, etc, and get AS MANY RESPONSES AS POSSIBLE!
http://bit.ly/BiodiversityYouth
(or direct google for link: https://forms.gle/gtFziJ3kWxyf...)
Our national youth survey is ready! Please get it out to your friends, classmates, club-members, etc, and get AS MANY RESPONSES AS POSSIBLE!
http://bit.ly/BiodiversityYouth
(or direct google for link: https://forms.gle/gtFziJ3kWxyf...)
Looking for support in attending the November Writer's Retreat or an environmentally focused project you are working on?
See below for quick and simple contests and grants
Roots and Shoots: https://janegoodall.ca/our-work/roots-and-shoots/ape-fund/
EcoLeague: http://resources4rethinking.ca/en/ecoleague
BC Arts Council https://www.bcartscouncil.ca/ “Project assistance grants”
Music BC http://www.musicbc.org/programs/lets-hear-it-live-micro-grants/
WestVan Foundation: https://westvanfoundation.ca/grants-scholarships/micro-grants (Not Currently Open)
Epicure (Food Security): https://epicure.com/en-ca/about/epicure-foundation
Go Wild School Grants: http://www.wwf.ca/takeaction/gowildschools/ (DEADLINE OCTOBER 21st)
Youth Ocean Conservation Summit MicroGrants: http://youthoceanconservationsummit.weebly.com/ (Not Currently Open)]
Aspen Social Justice http://www.afle.ca/applying-for-aspen-grants.html (September Each Year)
TakingItGlobal: https://risingyouth.ca/
Other Contest and Funding Opportunities:
Essay Contest: https://trustforsustainableliving.org/take-part/international-schools-essay-competition-and-debate
Climate Change and Creative Arts Video Contest: https://kimberley-foundation.org/focus-video/
World of Seven Billion Video Contest: https://www.worldof7billion.org/get-started-students/
Scotty, the most massive Tyrannosaurus rex in the world, is on display at Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Discovered right here in Saskatchewan, an academic paper published in The Anatomical Record confirmed Scotty's new status as the world's largest and oldest T. rex, outsizing the Chicago Field Museum's Sue by 400 kg and more than 50 cm in length.
The CN T. rex Gallery brings Scotty to life through multiple exhibits, including the awe-inspiring recreation of the roar of a T. rex. Examine actual fossil specimens of flora and fauna found in Scotty's quarry and discover the habitat and environment in which Scotty lived. Find out why T. rex had small arms, and explore Scotty's many injuries. For Scotty, living to be over 28 years was not without its challenges.
The Prime Minister's Youth Council is submitting a National Waters Strategy and they want to include your voice!
The report will submit text by fellow Canadians that have the health of the Oceans and of water at heart. If you want your voice to be heard to the Federal Government, you can write a short text of half to 3/4 of a page on the oceans, water or various subjects of your interest, more details in this PDF Eau-Gouv Can.pdf !
If possible he would need these texts by the end of this week (Friday the 19th).
Send your contributions to Nicole.Straughan@ocean.org and she will pass them on to the council member.
Thank you!
Ocean Literacy Leadership Opportunity - registration deadline extended to May 30
Posted by Danika on 2 May 2019
A Unique Outdoor Education and Adventure Experience on Hornby Island Returns!
Following the incredibly successful 2018 inaugural camp, Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Center in partnership with Ocean Wise and Navigate NIDES (Comox Valley Schools - School District 71) are offering another exciting outdoor education experience.
The Ocean Literacy and Leadership Camp is an educational retreat for young women ages 15 – 18 taking place from July 14 to 19 at Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre on beautiful Hornby Island. The all-female, six-day, five-night camp focuses on ocean literacy and ecology to enhance and increase knowledge about marine life and stewardship. Participants will gain a strong understanding of the leading environmental issues affecting our oceans today and be inspired to take part in a global effort to protect our waters.
The 2019 camp will include:
• Hands-on workshops with Deep Bay Marine Field Station
• Potential opportunity to connect with the local MLA and learn about changing government
legislation
• Ocean Literacy training from Ocean Wise
• Interactive leadership training on Hornby Island to emphasize online course work
As a special feature, this year’s camp will include a focus on inspiration. Several guest speakers with a variety of skills, experience, education, and background will be sharing their message of encouragement and how to face leadership challenges no matter what the issue or cause. Internationally acclaimed inspirational speaker Talli Osborne, known for her spunk and vitality, will deliver the keynote address and spend a portion of the week interacting with participants.
The Ocean Literacy and Leadership Camp runs from July 14 to 19 at the Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre on Hornby Island. A mandatory pre-camp online course commences April 1st. Participants who successfully complete the online course and camp program will earn four course credits, toward their BC Graduation Certificate.
Cost for the camp is $630 pp. All meals, accommodation and program material are provided. Transportation is available from Vancouver Island, from the Powell River Ferry terminal in Little River and from the Departure Bay ferries terminal in Nanaimo.
The camp is open to a maximum of 40 participants. For more information and to register, visit http://tribunebayoutdoored.ca/...
The Aquarium of the Pacific released a video today of a buddy cop movie parody starring Seymour Shark and Captain Quinn, two of the Aquarium’s beloved Pacific Pals characters. Straw Cops follows our heroes as they track down a gang of nefarious plastic bootleggers trying to spread single-use straws and environmental devastation. Fortunately, Seymour and Captain Quinn are able to reform the plastic purveyors and help the public choose better alternatives along the way. Straw Cops was written, filmed, and edited entirely in-house by the Aquarium’s education department staff.
Find out more
Hello Everyone!
We have created a highlight reel to showcase your awesome efforts in last years National Dialogue program
Hello Everyone,
The Ocean Heroes Bootcamp is now open for application/nominations! This is an incredible program for youth age 11-18 to learn first hand from experts the knowledge and skills to enact action campaigns to tackle single-use plastic in their communities. This 2.5 day weekend bootcamp will be held in Vancouver BC this year, on June 28-30. It is free to attend, includes food and lodging, and you can also apply for partial and full travel scholarships. As you are all already champions for environmental action, I encourage you to check out the website for more information. Please let me know if you have any questions - I believe you would all be great candidates. https://oceanheroes.blue/
Hi everyone!
We had such amazing progress made yesterday and are so excited to keep it going! We are in the zoom space now and you're welcome to join us!!
LINK FOR ZOOM CONNECTION - https://zoom.us/j/920015609
Hi All!
It was so lovely to meet many of you tonight ahead of a great writing day tomorrow! Here is the links you'll need for connecting via Zoom and a reminder for the Writer's agenda :)
LINK FOR ZOOM CONNECTION - https://zoom.us/j/920015609
Join by H.323
69.174.57.160 (Canada)
Meeting ID: 920 015 609
SIP LINK - 920015609@zoomcrc.com
See you all tomorrow!
Lindsay
Happy Monday Everyone!
The Virtual Town Hall is this Thursday and we are very excited to hear how this experience has influenced your opinions and goals surrounding plastic pollution. Ocean Wise will be joining in for the intro and again throughout the day to hear your thoughts and support.
Throughout the program, we have been working to support your efforts through social media and traditional media outlets. We released an Aqua Blog about your efforts - because you are awesome! https://www.aquablog.ca/2018/1...
Ocean Wise is looking to promote your efforts in every way we can, and we need your help to collect material for these media. If you have photos from the challenges and from the virtual town hall, PLEASE upload them into the Gallery. Unfortunately, it is a single-upload system and if you don't have time for that you are welcome to send me the photos via google drive/one drive/dropbox etc. to rachael.bell-irving@ocean.org
We will need to have photo releases signed by your guardian in order to use any photos and videos. The photo release is found in the Resources and can also be sent directly to me.
You are doing some excellent work and we think that the world should know. Remember, any videos, press releasese or blogs we produce may be used for your future portfolios, resumes or CVs. We need that material and photo waivers to make it happen.
Thanks Everyone. Good luck on Thursday!
WoW! Hard to believe it is already Week 6. From both Denise and myself, th ank you for your very well thought-out questions. We look forward to seeing your upcoming creations - which may help you in your virtual town hall and future campaigns.
If you have any lingering questions, or are looking for some design advice, you can email Denise at Denise.Cymbalist@ocean.org
You can learn more about Communication Design program at the Emily Carr University if it interests you. There is also a certificate program.
See you next week for the Virtual Town hall! We are very excited to be joined by Dr. Peter Ross, the VP of Research and Executive Director of CORI, Ocean Pollution Science Program. The head honcho of research himself!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Good Morning Everyone!
We hope you enjoyed some more of the science behind plastics and how they get into the ocean in the first place. I challenge you to go on an exploration through your community and identify the ways that your waste connects back to the ocean. This is especially important for landlocked communities. As an educator, one of my biggest challenges can be helping others see the connection when they don't have the ocean right in front of them. But as we talked about, the water cycle and our drains really connect us all.
After the meeting Kelsey let me know that there is currently a contest that TerraCycle/Staples is hosting a CONTEST for the best-designed pen recycling bin! Burnaby is already ahead of the game, but there is still time for everyone to join in and possibly even win some money. The deadline is October 31st!
https://www.terracycle.ca/en-CA/contests/staplesboxthatrocks
Does anyone use glasses? I had no idea that this was a common habit. Every little bit counts: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45222865
To help convince and support others of your mission, it is important to have tangible actions and alternatives. For the ESMY students challenging their teachers to reduce their coffee usage, and anyone else seeing this trend, many companies are now making their K-Cups recyclable. Quitting coffee can be very scary, especially for teachers, so by providing them with a recyclable alternative it may be a helping first step to quitting the cup.
Next week we have Rhiannon and Julie, two more plastic researchers, to talk about the destructive potential of plastic and also what inspired them to reduce their plastic use. Like Tanya in week 1, Rhiannon also took on the plastic-free challenge this time for a month. You can read about her personal journey here: https://raresites.wordpress.co...
Best of luck everyone with your challenges this week!
Hello Everyone,
Thank you for all of your fantastic questions. Both Alexis and I were very impressed by the professionalism and pragmatic approach of every group. Keep up the awesome work.
I have included the Water Bottle Ban How-To under 3B. Where is Our Waste Exercise, and in the resources.
And to answer Burnaby's Request for more info on our recycling programs. We recycle almost everything with our waste hauler Waste Control Services (WCS) except for the gloves that are recycled by Blue Planet Recycling in Langley, BC, and Writing Instruments/ Pens that are taken to Staples as a part of a TerraCycle program.
Next week we will be discussing more about the distribution of plastic through the environment and will be joined by two plastic researchers from the Pollution Tracker team.
Happy Friday Everyone.
Remember to take a look at Week 3 Activities before next Thursday. This should be a very strong discussion as many of you have voiced questions on the topic of waste management. We are bringing in our resident expert Alexis to help answers those questions. I am really excited to talk about this subjetct next week. Once you complete the activities you will see why - and this will have a BIG impact on your final paper to the senate.
One of the many great questions from yesterday's meeting was (to paraphrase) what is the economic costs of the damage from pollution in the environment? Keeping in mind that cleanup efforts can be very costly to begin with, there is now research that looks at the value of these water bodies that we are damaging. A lot more needs to be understood, as you will see from looking at these resources. Many data is still missing particularly from isolated communities and inshore communities bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. All water is connected and so all water matters, whether it is at a coastline, a lake, or groundwater.
From these resources, It would be MORE costly to have to provide the services that this water already gives us (e.g. if these resources are damaged beyond repair) than to reduce and clean up the pollution damage already present.
I recommend everyone take a moment to play with these resources. I have also added them to the resources.
Nearshore Natural Capital Valuation
Have a great Thanksgiving
Dear All,
On behalf of Ocean Wise, TakingITGlobal, and the Centre for Global Education, we would like to welcome you all to the Ocean Wise National Dialogue on Plastics. As some of Canada's most innovative schools, we are honoured to have you join in a dialogue over the course of the next six weeks to learn about and engage your communities, local and provincially, in the creation of a vision for the future of our water in Canada.
The purpose of this program is to build conversations amongst the youth of Canada about how they want to see the future of environmental health and sustainability cared for in the country, in order to enact change throughout their local schools, communities, cities and our Country. This year we will be focusing on the complex and constantly developing subject of Plastics.
Each week we will explore a different aspect of our environmental challenge. At the video conference we will share our results and hear from an expert mentor. These inquiries will both challenge and deepen your understanding of this multi-sided environmental issue. By collaboratively contributing to this online classroom, you will create a dialogue together that will, in turn, become action.
To get started, please complete the following pre-activities before our first conference on September 27th
Creating a Profile in the Virtual Classroom
Discover Your Sense of Place
Finding Your Shoreline.
If you have any questions about the online classroom, please read through the FAQs page
We will be discussing the use of this space and the purpose of the dialogue more in detail when we first meet. If you have any questions in the meantime you may post them to this discusssion forum, and one of the facilitators or your peers will be able to help.
Welcome to the National Dialogue on Plastics. We can't wait to get started!
Share your experiences and thoughts @OceanWise #OceanWise and #PlasticWise
OPPORTUNITY: Youth Participation at the Sustainable Brands Conference
Posted by Rachael B-I on 23 May 2018The Ocean Project has an exciting opportunity for youth (approx. age 16-22) to participate in the Sustainable Brands Conference in Vancouver on June 5-7th.
Sustainable Brands is a learning, collaboration, and commerce community of forward-thinking sustainability, brand, and design professionals who are working to leverage sustainability as a driver of business and brand value. We recognize that brands today have a unique role to play in focusing corporate energy and also influencing culture. Sustainable Brands serves as the bridge that accelerates the successful shift towards a future of better brands and a sustainable economy.
SB’18 Vancouver kicks off a global showcase of brands who are embodying the spirit of balance and simplicity by redesigning product and service offerings toward new societal aspirations of The Good Life.
The Ocean Project is looking for youth who are bright, ocean-aware and active young leaders. Each day, the youth will have opportunities to engage the audience at Sustainable Brands including CEOs, CMOs and founders of startups from various companies. It will be a great chance to challenge them to address the issue of plastic in the ocean as a design issue and in a much more systemic way.
Here is the proposed schedule:
- Tuesday June 5th from 12:00pm -1:30pm: Youth workshop (just for youth, led by Baylee Ritter and Gaby Schauber, both World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council members). This will provide an opportunity for youth to meet each other and discuss the issues, get more fully apprised of the plans for the next couple of days.
- Tuesday June 5th and Wednesday June 6th, from 3:30 - 4:45pm: Good Growth Innovation Lab (same time and place both days). The group of youth will participate in the Good Growth Innovation Lab and work alongside industry leaders to develop solutions to the "Challenge Question" which addresses the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean, and how to proactively prevent these problems in a systemic way/way upstream.
- Thursday June 7th, 1:35pm-2:05pm: The youth will present for the Good Growth Innovation Lab on the Activation Hub Main Stage
Ideally, youth will be able to attend all the sessions but there is some flexibility with scheduling.
OPPORTUNITY: Youth Participation at the Sustainable Brands Conference
Posted by Rachael B-I on 23 May 2018The Ocean Project has an exciting opportunity for youth (approx. age 16-22) to participate in the Sustainable Brands Conference in Vancouver on June 5-7th.
Sustainable Brands is a learning, collaboration, and commerce community of forward-thinking sustainability, brand, and design professionals who are working to leverage sustainability as a driver of business and brand value. We recognize that brands today have a unique role to play in focusing corporate energy and also influencing culture. Sustainable Brands serves as the bridge that accelerates the successful shift towards a future of better brands and a sustainable economy.
SB’18 Vancouver kicks off a global showcase of brands who are embodying the spirit of balance and simplicity by redesigning product and service offerings toward new societal aspirations of The Good Life.
The Ocean Project is looking for youth who are bright, ocean-aware and active young leaders. Each day, the youth will have opportunities to engage the audience at Sustainable Brands including CEOs, CMOs and founders of startups from various companies. It will be a great chance to challenge them to address the issue of plastic in the ocean as a design issue and in a much more systemic way.
Here is the proposed schedule:
- Tuesday June 5th from 12:00pm -1:30pm: Youth workshop (just for youth, led by Baylee Ritter and Gaby Schauber, both World Oceans Day Youth Advisory Council members). This will provide an opportunity for youth to meet each other and discuss the issues, get more fully apprised of the plans for the next couple of days.
- Tuesday June 5th and Wednesday June 6th, from 3:30 - 4:45pm: Good Growth Innovation Lab (same time and place both days). The group of youth will participate in the Good Growth Innovation Lab and work alongside industry leaders to develop solutions to the "Challenge Question" which addresses the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean, and how to proactively prevent these problems in a systemic way/way upstream.
- Thursday June 7th, 1:35pm-2:05pm: The youth will present for the Good Growth Innovation Lab on the Activation Hub Main Stage
Ideally, youth will be able to attend all the sessions but there is some flexibility with scheduling.
There is an exciting new opportunity from OceanWise Conservation Association and the Government of Canada called the G7 Oceans Youth Innovation Challenge!
On January 1, 2018, Canada assumed Presidency of the G7 group of industrialized countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and US). Canada’s presidency is orientated around 5 themes, one of which is “Working Together on Climate Change, Oceans and Clean Energy”.
What is your vision for healthy and productive oceans in 2050?
What innovative solutions would you recommend be adopted to reach this goal?
We are calling all G7 youth who are 18-25 years old and have reached the age of majority in their country to submit a 2-minute video sharing their innovative solutions to challenges facing global ocean health. Applicants can submit their video and application in any one of the five G7 languages (English, French, German, Italian or Japanese). Judged by an international panel of youth ocean leaders, the winners will be mentored and will be able to join the G7 Environment Ministerial meetings in Canada in the fall. The contest is now open and will close on May 15th, 2018.
For more information, please visit our multi-lingual website http://policy.ocean.org and connect with @OceanWise through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #myoceans2050.
Break your plastic problem - help protect the ocean.
Microplastic is the greatest pollutant in the ocean today. It comes from our packaging, waste, clothing and is even specifically created to be tiny. These tiny plastics are a big problem.
Plastic is filling our oceans at the rate of one dump truck full every minute.
Tiny zooplankton that support the ocean food chain are mistaking plastic for food. Seabirds are found with plastic pieces in their bellies.
We need a sea change. Today.
Ocean Wise is tackling the global crisis of plastic waste in our ocean. We’re carrying out groundbreaking science to understand the problem and seeking bold solutions to address plastic pollution.
What happens next depends on you. Your individual actions and choices have a direct impact on the health of our oceans. Together, our individual actions can have a big collective impact. But we have to make that change happen. Join us in a global movement to #BePlasticWiseand sign our pledge
URGENT: Join us for the national event tomorrow via video conference
Posted by Terry Godwaldt on 21 Mar 2018Hello Students and teachers,
We have a few spots available for students and teachers to join us tomorrow via Zoom (Video conference.) If you are interested, please send us an email (terry@tcge.ca) and we'll send you the link. No prep necessary! This will be a great opportunity to reconnect and celebrate all the work you did!!!
URGENT: Join us for the national event tomorrow via video conference
Posted by Terry Godwaldt on 21 Mar 2018Hello Students and teachers,
We have a few spots available for students and teachers to join us tomorrow via Zoom (Video conference.) If you are interested, please send us an email (terry@tcge.ca) and we'll send you the link. No prep necessary! This will be a great opportunity to reconnect and celebrate all the work you did!!!
Good Morning Everyone!
Danika and I would like to extend a big thank you to all those who participated in the writers' retreat, both here at the Vancouver Aquarium and online. Congratulations on the great work that you accomplished this weekend. The students were incredibly enthusiastic, dedicated and productive in their quest to create the document draft, and we cannot wait to see it continue to develop.
If you took any photos of the weekend, please upload them to the Writers' Retreat Gallery for everyone to share in the experience.
Ocean Wise would love to share your photos as well! Please have a parent or guardian fill out the Photo Release Form, and email it back to either myself or Danika.
Well done everyone! 2018 is going to see some very exciting things ahead.
Welcome Canada!
This is the document link we will use throughout the weekend. It is the agenda but also the hyperlink to all the documents we need.
Terry
Dear All,
It's hard to believe that we are just days away from the National Virtual Town Hall!! It's going to be an amazing time for us to come together as a nation and talk about water and your vision for the future. Everything that we need for the event is on this link.
See you soon,
Terry
Hello brilliant Ocean Wise schools!
It has been a great week reviewing materials on the virtual classroom, and seeing our students connect and share their thoughts & ideas. It is hard to believe that we are just a few days away from the cumulative event - our Virtual Town Hall!!
Details for Thursday, Nov 23:
- Zoom LINK: https://zoom.us/j/920189701
- Agenda LINK: Click here *The link is also available on the announcements page in the virtual classroom.
- Please try to review the Agenda before Thursday to familiarize yourself with the schedule, breakout questions, resources, and google documents
- Remember, each group will need:
- 1 or 2 computers for each colour group (Red, Blue, Green & Yellow)
- Each colour group should have a designated writer and a reader (the reader is the person who reads the work of the other schools)
- If possible, it would be great to have someone who was a "roaming reporter" - their job would be to take video and send tweets throughout the morning
- Student cell phones for poll voting
- Dedicated computer/projector for zoom VTH connection
- 1 or 2 computers for each colour group (Red, Blue, Green & Yellow)
Sarah Flynn
Share your experiences and thoughts @OceanWise #OceanWise and special for Nov 23 Virtual Town Hall #OceanWiseSpeaks
Dear All,
On behalf of Ocean Wise, TakingITGlobal, and the Centre for Global Education, we would like to welcome you all to the Ocean Wise National Dialogue on Water. As eight of Canada's most innovative schools, we are honoured to have you join in a dialogue over the course of the next six weeks to learn about and engage your communities, local and provincially, in the creation of a vision for the future of our water in Canada.
Dear All,
It's hard to believe that we are just days away from the National Virtual Town Hall!! It's going to be an amazing time for us to come together as a nation and talk about water and your vision for the future. Everything that we need for the event is on this link.
See you soon,
Terry
Hello Everyone!
Thank you for another engaging water webinar today!
Joining us today was Alexis Scoon, Ocean Wise Sustainability Manager. Her slides are posted HERE. Check out your community's watershed report at http://watershedreports.wwf.ca/#intro
Talk to you soon.
Hello Everyone!
Next week we will be having our 4th Town Hall, with our expert mentor Alexis Scoon. Alexis brings a passion and enthusiasm to everything she does, and is eager to speak with you next week.
Please remember to complete Week 4's Activities before the Town Hall:
Ocean Watch: Howe Sound Edition
FRIDAY FUN FACT: The ocean actually has a limited amount of water in it. 1.332 billion cubic kilometers to be exact. It is not the infinite resource that was once thought, and you are helping change people's perspective with your work in this national dialogue.
Happy Friday! Try out some weekend baking in between your water rights activities!:
Hello Everyone!
We are very excited for tomorrow's Virtual Town Hall, to discuss the work you have been doing and the theme of this week.
Joining us will be Rhiannon Moore and Julie Dimitrijevic, Masters Candidates with the Ocean Pollution Research Program. We are very excited to have Rhiannon and Julie join us tomorrow, and to share their expertise. If you have any questions for Rhiannon and Julie, before or after the program, be sure to post a comment on their Mentor Blogs.
Please make sure you have completed all of the Week 3 Activities for tomorrow's discussion.
Talk to you soon.
Hi everyone,
Thank you to those who have started posting their Drain Journals. In an effort to not overwhelm anyone with work I have moved 4a. Ocean Watch: Howe Sound to next week, Nov 15. Please post your responses to 3a. Colonial Context and 3b. Down the Drain Challenge for tomorrow's call and remember to comment on other's posts to get the conversation started.
cheers,
Danika
Hello Everyone,
Throughout our national dialogue, we will be posting blogs to introduce you to the expert mentors, who will be guiding you through the content each week.
Visit our Expert Mentor Blog Series to learn more! We are excited to introduce our next expert Donna Gibbs for this weeks Virtual Town Hall
These blogs will be constantly updated too, so make sure to check back in to learn new information, as questions, and meet the upcoming mentors.
If you have any questions for the mentors, comment below on their blog, and we will do our best to get those answered for you.
Talk to you soon!
Ocean Wise
Welcome to Water Rights, the Ocean Wise Virtual Town Hall. In preparation for our first collaboration on Tuesday, October 24th, 2017 at 9:00am PST, we have a few short activities we would like your class to complete.
Creating a Profile in the Virtual Classroom
These activities will give you an introduction to the online learning environment, as well as to start your brain thinking about all the ways that water is involved in your life. Use the Discussions Board to connect to other participants, and to contribute your thoughts throughout these activities.
Let's get started!