OCEAN FRONTIERS EDUCATOR RESOURCES TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 2018
Teaching students about current marine policy decisions is vital for them to become informed ocean stewards. We regularly hear from teachers how they use the Ocean Frontiers and the Great Bear Sea films to encourage students to think about the ocean in a new way and inspire them to take action.
In 2016 we created Exploring the Great Bear Sea Curriculum Resources, a suite of classroom-based film and print materials focusing on themes of Indigenous Knowledge, collaborative science and sustainable marine planning that are in use by 600+ teachers in British Columbia and beyond. These B.C. curriculum-connected resources can be downloaded at no cost.
This year the Ocean Frontiers team and our teacher partners are creating lessons for middle and high school teachers and discussion guides for university levels for the Ocean Frontiers films. The educator resources are being released in August 2018, and will be available at no cost on the Ocean Frontiers website.
It’s exciting to see the materials come together! We are combining inspiring Ocean Frontiers film clips, real-life data, plus lesson plans and activities to provide educators engaging tools to incorporate ocean management and conservation perspectives into a variety of classroom settings. The resources will explore themes such as ocean policy and ocean planning, marine stewardship, sustainable resource management, sustainable economic development, collaborative science, biodiversity, and traditional and local knowledge.
The STEAM-friendly, inquiry-based materials will conform to multiple science and ocean literacy standards, and are designed to help educators meet performance expectations for a variety of Next Generation Science Standards Cross Cutting Concepts.
Going to the National Marine Educators Association annual conference this July in Long Beach, CA? We’ll be there presenting these new teacher resources!
“Now more than ever we owe it to our students to make sure they have seen what a difference working together and sharing solutions from around the globe have made for people from all walks of life, from all over the world, like the people introduced in the Ocean Frontiers film series.”
Kimberly Williams, Marine Science Teacher
Smithtown High School, Smithtown, NY
HANDS ACROSS THE SAND – MAY 19, 2018
The 8th annual Hands Across the Sand day is coming to a beach near you on May 19th! People around the country are organizing local events in support of clean energy. Participants will join hands on the beach at noon, drawing a symbolic line in the sand to say YES to clean energy and NO to dependence on fossil fuels. The goal is to show leaders at all levels of government, that public support is strong for adopting policies that encourage clean energy. Find an event near you or organize your own!
MARCH FOR THE OCEAN – JUNE 9, 2018
Over 90 organizations are mobilizing a broad and diverse constituency to #MarchForTheOcean on June 9th, promoting ocean solutions for the problems that threaten our blue planet. A growing chorus of supporters including environmentalists, scientists, surfers, divers, students, parents, teachers, celebrities, fishermen, social justice advocates, small businesses, major aquariums, deep-sea explorers and citizen activists – everyone who gets so much from the ocean, lakes and rivers – is mobilizing to give something back!
The main march happens in Washington D.C. on June 9th, with simultaneous marches, flotillas, and water celebrations taking place across the country. Find out more and get ready to march!
TAKE ACTION
Steep NOAA & EPA Budget Cuts Proposed in President’s Budget
The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2019 proposes steep and sweeping cuts for both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). Many programs on the chopping block are vital for marine mammals, coastal resilience programs, water quality monitoring, climate research, and much more. Thankfully this budget is only a proposal – Congress will ultimately write the 2019 budget in the coming weeks. Contact your elected representatives via this Surfrider Foundation action alert to let them know how important ocean and coastal programs are to you.
HOST YOUR OWN SCREENING FOR EARTH DAY
With Earth Day coming up next month, now is a great time to plan an Ocean Frontiers screening in your neighborhood. Share the films with your friends and neighbors to showcase these inspiring stories of unlikely allies working together to find solutions that benefit the ocean and ocean economies. After the film, initiate a conversation about actions people can take to support healthy oceans – organize a beach clean-up, pledge to stop using straws, get involved in ocean planning.
To get started with your screening, sign up to receive free downloads or DVDs and our screening toolkit. Find a local venue, such as a library, church or community center, and then spread the word! Need some help planning your screening? We can help you shape your event, suggest speakers, answer questions about the toolkit, and more. For more information, please contact Eva Barnett.
OCEAN PLANNING NEWS
Northeast
Keep up with the Northeast Regional Planning Body (RPB) at neoceanplanning.org.
- March 2018 – The redesigned Northeast Ocean Data Portal website has just been released! The new design offers improved integration of key ocean planning themes and will perform better on different devices. Contact the Portal team if you would like to have a demonstration or training for a group.
- June 21, 2018 – Northeast Regional Planning Body meeting – location TBA (likely south of Boston). This meeting will be open to the public and will provide updates from each of the Subcommittees.
Mid-Atlantic
The Mid-Atlantic RPB events and updates can be found at boem.gov/MidA-New.
- RPB meeting/webinar materials – A webinar was held last month to discuss the 2017 Draft Semi-Annual Work Plan and Progress Report. Meeting documents can be found here.
West Coast
Keep up with the West Coast RPB’s news and events at westcoastmarineplanning.org.
- Sign up to be a West Coast Data & Science Diplomat – Please use the form here to stay up-to-date on data and science efforts to support West Coast ocean planning, including links to government managers and opportunities to collaborate with other science and data professionals.
Pacific Islands
After a series of listening sessions this past fall, meetings are taking place to develop the vision, purpose, process and stakeholder engagement for the ocean plan. For more information go to pacificislandsrpb.org.
- April 12-13 – CNMI Ocean Planning Team meeting in Saipan.
- April 16-17 – Guam Ocean Planning Team meeting.
Thanks for all you do!
Karen Anspacher-Meyer
Green Fire Productions
Header photo: Duane Fuerter, orca dorsal fins, Gwaii Haanas, Queen Charlotte Lodge
