March 14, 2017
Over a year ago, Ocean First Institute started on an incredible adventure by creating a brand new youth program, the Ocean First Explorers Club, right here in the mountains of Colorado. This club was designed to not only encourage exploration and discovery of the marine world, but to instill a sense of stewardship ethic and leadership within our students.
Since then, we have created over five new chapters of our Ocean First Explorers Club within schools along the Front Range of Colorado. We have taught our members about how conservation issues, such as climate change and marine debris, are impacting our ocean and what we can do to make a positive difference. Students have not only learned about sea turtles, sharks, and polar bears, but also about ocean acidification, renewable energy, and microplastics. These are global and complex issues, but if our ocean teaches us one thing, it is that we are all connected. We are part of a global community, and through our program, students learn that our daily choices can impact our communities, our neighbors downstream, and eventually our ocean.
To help our youth with such an overwhelming problem facing our planet, we do more than educate. We help our Explorers understand the reasons behind such major issues, and, ultimately, what can be done to make a change!
When we learn, we care, and when we care, we can make a difference. Our goal for this incredible club is to empower our youth, to inspire leaders within local communities, and to motivate positive change.
We do this by bringing the ocean to our Explorers and making learning fun. Our Club members have made ocean-friendly soap from scratch, dissected real albatross boluses, built their own wind turbines, and even created their own art from plastic debris to creatively raise awareness on the issue of marine debris! Through this club, our Explorers have been able to not only discover the world of incredible marine animals, but also discovered that they can take action and help improve our natural world.
All of us at Ocean First Institute, staff and volunteers, have been so impressed and inspired by these students and their passion for the ocean world. Within their local communities, our Explorers have conducted energy audits, started a school recycling program, conducted a creek cleanup, and even investigated food waste within their community. With the help of our Club members, we have been able to spread awareness of these important issues to audiences throughout the state. Already, posters and artwork from our Explorers have traveled to events at the Denver Zoo and Ocean First Divers, reaching thousands of individuals! This program gives hope for the future and these incredible conservation stewards. We cannot wait to see this club continue to grow in Colorado and see what positive changes our Explorers can bring about, no matter their age or where they might live!
And if you are interested in learning more about how you can help protect our ocean from the mountains, check out our marine science summer camp programs! Each camp will be led by Ocean First Institute staff marine biologists, and gives members a chance to learn about the interconnectedness of our ocean, gain hands-on research experience, and discover how we can all make a positive for the environment. Sign-up for an ocean adventure today!
Learn more about our summer camp opportunities or contact us to register.
