anand
7th June 2005, 10:40 AM
http://www.theoceanproject.org/images/main/WOD_logo_small.jpg
The Ocean Project is excited to be coordinating efforts, with the World Ocean Network, to ensure that this year’s World Ocean Day is the best yet. With the day rapidly approaching, we hope you are all thinking of what your institution might do to celebrate World Ocean Day. If you have not yet decided, there is still time.
Please read on and visit our website for more information:www.WorldOceanDay.org.
World Ocean Day represents several significant opportunities:
Change Perspective – think about what the ocean means to you and what it has to offer all of us; envision how you would like it to be, now and in the time of your great grandchildren.
Learn – discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.
Modify our ways – the ocean is downstream from all of us. By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker for our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.
Celebrate – whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.
The Ocean Project has developed a list of ways your organization can celebrate World Ocean Day (WOD). Consider combining several activities into a day or week-long event for ocean-lovers of all ages! Also, consider collaborating with other organizations in your area. You will reach many more people and can share the planning workload if you partner with other groups. Contact local environmental groups, schools, chambers of commerce, clubs, philanthropy organizations, or other educational institutions and join forces to plan and host WOD events. If you don’t have a list of local and regional organizations, contact us and we can provide you with a list of TOP Partner aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, government agencies, and others in your area.
Here are a few suggestions as to how you can celebrate World Ocean Day:
Be a Voice for our Ocean:
- Create a WOD display addressing an ocean theme, or help others create displays for local libraries, schools, or community centers.
- Prepare a news release or public service announcement describing your WOD activities and submit it to a local newspaper or radio station.
- Host a news conference on WOD to publicize your events and highlight things people can do individually to help conserve the ocean for the future.
- Write and op-ed or letter to the editor of your local newspaper supporting positive change for your community and the ocean.
- Circulate a petition voicing your concerns about an issue that affects the ocean environment and suggest solutions; send the petition to your governor, congressional representative, or other environmental decision-maker. Petitions can address local or regional issues such as preservation of a natural area, national issues such as upholding the integrity of an environmental law, or international issues such as improved ocean pollution regulations. For examples, check out www.ThePetitionSite.com. The Ocean Project can provide you with copies of a petition being signed to encourage the United Nations and world leaders to officially declare June 8th as World Ocean Day.
- Advertise the Day! Use the WOD logo to put on posters, t-shirts, everything. Contact our office if you are interested in using the logo.
- Post a list of local WOD activities on your website. Screen an ocean film with a discussion following. Contact TOP for films or ideas.
Plan Fun Activities:
- Have ocean-themed "paint-offs" and music from local artists to showcase works dealing with the ocean.
- Host a kids’ art contest with behind-the-scenes tours for the winners.
- Have a sandcastle building contest with ocean prizes.
- Have an ocean scavenger or treasure hunt.
- Have a special aquarium or zoo sleepover so kids can watch the ocean creatures at night.
- Work with local educational facilities to sponsor nature walks, talks, or cruises.
- Host a raffle to give away ocean prizes including coupons to local sustainable seafood restaurants, eco-tours, etc. with proceeds going to a conservation program.
- Host a running race with WOD-themed prizes and t-shirts.
- Host other athletic events related to the ocean, such as a swimming or sailing race, and donate the proceeds to a conservation program or organization.
- Sponsor a public lecture, book reading or signing, or photo exhibit from prominent environmental leaders, authors, artists, or scientists. Contact TOP if you would like some ideas on people to speak in your region.
- Sponsor a sustainable seafood event and invite local chefs to give demonstrations and food tastings. Contact us for a list of “sustainable seafood chefs” in your area.
- Host a fundraising dinner featuring sustainable seafood.
- Host a beach party, BBQ, or picnic with contests and ocean-themed prizes.
Make a Difference:
- Host a beach, river, wetland, lake, or underwater cleanup. Contact local dive and water sport shops to help organize and spread the word.
- Recruit volunteers through the media, posters displayed in the community, or local youth groups. Follow the cleanup with a celebratory dinner featuring safe and sustainable seafood!
- Join forces with local environmental groups to kick of an Adopt-a-Reef (or whale, or turtle, or…) program, or a similar program for streams or beaches.
- Develop an Ocean/Earth pledge for visitors to sign, and enter the “pledgers” in a drawing. Pledges can list things individuals can do to increase their positive impact on the ocean.
- Develop a pamphlet including interesting ways visitors can help in their daily lives to conserve our ocean. Hand out the pamphlet or post it in a visible area. Check out www.SeastheDay.org for ideas.
Involve your Community:
- Get your state and local officials involved! Invite your mayor or other elected official to give a speech and attend your events.
- Persuade your town government to officially declare World Ocean Day June 8.
- Invite local environmental organizations to set up booths at your event.
- Link up with another community - coastal or inland - in a distant part of your country or the world and collaborate on ocean awareness activities, action projects, and information exchange. Contact TOP for ideas and contacts worldwide.
- Conduct outreach activities on the ocean in your local schools during that week.
Visit our website for a listing of what some of our partners did last year to celebrate World Ocean Day http://www.theoceanproject.org/images/doc/WOD_Partner_Events_2004.pdf
What you can do next:
Let us know what you have planned so we can advertise your event on our website. There will be special recognition for all our partners who host an event this year. If you have any new ideas we would love to hear those as well so we can share those with others. We will be continuing to update our website with new ideas and events that our partners have planned so please keep visiting: www.WorldOceanDay.org.
The Ocean Project is excited to be coordinating efforts, with the World Ocean Network, to ensure that this year’s World Ocean Day is the best yet. With the day rapidly approaching, we hope you are all thinking of what your institution might do to celebrate World Ocean Day. If you have not yet decided, there is still time.
Please read on and visit our website for more information:www.WorldOceanDay.org.
World Ocean Day represents several significant opportunities:
Change Perspective – think about what the ocean means to you and what it has to offer all of us; envision how you would like it to be, now and in the time of your great grandchildren.
Learn – discover the wealth of diverse and beautiful ocean creatures and habitats, how our daily actions affect them, and how we are all interconnected.
Modify our ways – the ocean is downstream from all of us. By taking care of your backyard, you are acting as a caretaker for our ocean. Making small modifications to your everyday habits will greatly benefit our blue planet.
Celebrate – whether you live inland or on the coast, we are all connected to the ocean; take the time to organize or participate in activities that celebrate our world ocean.
The Ocean Project has developed a list of ways your organization can celebrate World Ocean Day (WOD). Consider combining several activities into a day or week-long event for ocean-lovers of all ages! Also, consider collaborating with other organizations in your area. You will reach many more people and can share the planning workload if you partner with other groups. Contact local environmental groups, schools, chambers of commerce, clubs, philanthropy organizations, or other educational institutions and join forces to plan and host WOD events. If you don’t have a list of local and regional organizations, contact us and we can provide you with a list of TOP Partner aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, government agencies, and others in your area.
Here are a few suggestions as to how you can celebrate World Ocean Day:
Be a Voice for our Ocean:
- Create a WOD display addressing an ocean theme, or help others create displays for local libraries, schools, or community centers.
- Prepare a news release or public service announcement describing your WOD activities and submit it to a local newspaper or radio station.
- Host a news conference on WOD to publicize your events and highlight things people can do individually to help conserve the ocean for the future.
- Write and op-ed or letter to the editor of your local newspaper supporting positive change for your community and the ocean.
- Circulate a petition voicing your concerns about an issue that affects the ocean environment and suggest solutions; send the petition to your governor, congressional representative, or other environmental decision-maker. Petitions can address local or regional issues such as preservation of a natural area, national issues such as upholding the integrity of an environmental law, or international issues such as improved ocean pollution regulations. For examples, check out www.ThePetitionSite.com. The Ocean Project can provide you with copies of a petition being signed to encourage the United Nations and world leaders to officially declare June 8th as World Ocean Day.
- Advertise the Day! Use the WOD logo to put on posters, t-shirts, everything. Contact our office if you are interested in using the logo.
- Post a list of local WOD activities on your website. Screen an ocean film with a discussion following. Contact TOP for films or ideas.
Plan Fun Activities:
- Have ocean-themed "paint-offs" and music from local artists to showcase works dealing with the ocean.
- Host a kids’ art contest with behind-the-scenes tours for the winners.
- Have a sandcastle building contest with ocean prizes.
- Have an ocean scavenger or treasure hunt.
- Have a special aquarium or zoo sleepover so kids can watch the ocean creatures at night.
- Work with local educational facilities to sponsor nature walks, talks, or cruises.
- Host a raffle to give away ocean prizes including coupons to local sustainable seafood restaurants, eco-tours, etc. with proceeds going to a conservation program.
- Host a running race with WOD-themed prizes and t-shirts.
- Host other athletic events related to the ocean, such as a swimming or sailing race, and donate the proceeds to a conservation program or organization.
- Sponsor a public lecture, book reading or signing, or photo exhibit from prominent environmental leaders, authors, artists, or scientists. Contact TOP if you would like some ideas on people to speak in your region.
- Sponsor a sustainable seafood event and invite local chefs to give demonstrations and food tastings. Contact us for a list of “sustainable seafood chefs” in your area.
- Host a fundraising dinner featuring sustainable seafood.
- Host a beach party, BBQ, or picnic with contests and ocean-themed prizes.
Make a Difference:
- Host a beach, river, wetland, lake, or underwater cleanup. Contact local dive and water sport shops to help organize and spread the word.
- Recruit volunteers through the media, posters displayed in the community, or local youth groups. Follow the cleanup with a celebratory dinner featuring safe and sustainable seafood!
- Join forces with local environmental groups to kick of an Adopt-a-Reef (or whale, or turtle, or…) program, or a similar program for streams or beaches.
- Develop an Ocean/Earth pledge for visitors to sign, and enter the “pledgers” in a drawing. Pledges can list things individuals can do to increase their positive impact on the ocean.
- Develop a pamphlet including interesting ways visitors can help in their daily lives to conserve our ocean. Hand out the pamphlet or post it in a visible area. Check out www.SeastheDay.org for ideas.
Involve your Community:
- Get your state and local officials involved! Invite your mayor or other elected official to give a speech and attend your events.
- Persuade your town government to officially declare World Ocean Day June 8.
- Invite local environmental organizations to set up booths at your event.
- Link up with another community - coastal or inland - in a distant part of your country or the world and collaborate on ocean awareness activities, action projects, and information exchange. Contact TOP for ideas and contacts worldwide.
- Conduct outreach activities on the ocean in your local schools during that week.
Visit our website for a listing of what some of our partners did last year to celebrate World Ocean Day http://www.theoceanproject.org/images/doc/WOD_Partner_Events_2004.pdf
What you can do next:
Let us know what you have planned so we can advertise your event on our website. There will be special recognition for all our partners who host an event this year. If you have any new ideas we would love to hear those as well so we can share those with others. We will be continuing to update our website with new ideas and events that our partners have planned so please keep visiting: www.WorldOceanDay.org.