It’s 3:55 pm. Deep breath. It’s soon going to start.

A participant enters the waiting room. It’s game time!

I let the first couple of people in and put on a big smile while waiting for their audio to connect. These girls are joining from Girl Scouts of Western Washington and are excited to learn all about marine biology from an expert!

Join us on Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at 4:30 PM PT (7:30 PM ET), for a live comedy show featuring a great lineup of comedians.

Biodegradable and compostable are two words often used to refer to the material used in packaging. They both show up when we're looking for eco-friendly products to purchase. Understanding the difference between them is crucial to comprehend the environmental impact of what we are consuming.

The ocean has an uncountable number of marine animal species; crustaceans, corals, invertebrates, mammals, fishes, seabirds. The sea is a complex web where every animal and plant plays a vital role in keeping the ecosystem functioning correctly to maintain life and biodiversity. The extinction of a single plant or animal species may affect the whole biological system, in and out of the oceans since ocean animals' endangerment has unbalanced the ecosystem and, consequently, aggravated ecological issues.

October 5th is international World Teachers' Day - and in 2020, in particular, I think we can all agree that teachers and educators deserve a special shout-out for all the extra effort they've had to put in to adapt to their students' needs this year.

Have you ever stopped to look at the amount of garbage present on our beaches in Vancouver? If you look closely, you'll find one or a few pieces of litter every step you take, stuck between the sand, under the benches, close to the water – there are human remainders everywhere.

Vancouver, B.C. — Due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19, some parents will choose to keep their children at home when schools reopen in September. But they may worry they can’t provide the same level of education that a certified educator can. Sea Smart, the Vancouver-based charity that delivers environmental education programs, is offering families new online courses to keep kids educated and engaged while they are being home-schooled.

Attention BC teachers, we’re here to help you! Have you heard about Sea Smart’s Aquatic Species at Risk Workshops? These workshops are developed in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to foster environmental stewardship by guiding students through Youth Action Projects. Working in groups, students develop impactful projects that directly address threats to species at risk in the Salish Sea, including Southern Resident Killer Whales, Steller Sea Lions, Basking Sharks, and Leatherback Sea Turtles! Even better, workshops align with the BC Curriculum Core Competencies.

We owe a lot to our volunteers! Like many charities, our volunteers are crucial to Sea Smart’s continued growth and widespread impact. Today we’ll be highlighting some of the awesome people who volunteer with Sea Smart to gain insight into some of the roles that help shape our organization.

Itching to get outside as the weather warms up? Fortunately, our city has plenty of beautiful spots to explore if you know where to look! Plan your tide pool visit to arrive at low-tide for the best chance to view all the intertidal critters that live there (check out daily low-tide times here).

Remember, the top 3 challengers of the summer will win fin-tastic prizes. We’ll also have random monthly draws so complete as many challenges as you can. We have lots of exciting prizes from our sponsors including prizes from Arc’teryx, Sea To Sky Gondola, The Soap Dispensary and more!

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These disciplines are vital to succeed in a quickly developing world. STEM education develops critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills that are essential in the workplace and everyday life. Learning skills and characteristics developed through STEM education is necessary for everyone. This is why access to STEM programs is so vital. STEM education shows children how their learning goes beyond the classroom. Canadians are also expanding STEM learning initiatives through organizations like Canada 2067.

Since the start of COVID-19, children have experienced unprecedented school closures. This transition towards online classes features assignments and projects that often need very little social interaction. As the pandemic continues, children also face the uncertainty of a completely altered summer, a new normal, unlike anything they have ever experienced.

World Oceans Day started in 1992 to raise awareness of the important role the oceans have in interconnecting life on Earth. In 2008, the UN passed a resolution to officially designate the day for the international community to come together to protect the oceans. Since then, the movement has expanded to an entire weeklong event! This year, World Oceans Week is June 8-14. Oceans Week raises awareness, educates, and encourages action - every person can do a little more to help our oceans.

This week, we’re sharing something a little different. After one of our Species at Risk school workshops in North Vancouver, a 5th-grade student felt compelled to create this poem. She felt so moved that she showed her teacher who then printed it and circulated it around the school to inspire others. We love seeing students take our workshops to heart and share their knowledge with their families, schools and communities. This ripple effect is exactly what we strive to create, every day.

The world is adjusting to public health protocols in response to COVID-19 and Sea Smart has been working diligently to adapt our programs. Teachers are looking for ways to reach their students remotely and provide quality education. As well, parents must find solutions to entertain and engage their children while also balancing working from home.

We know this is a challenging time for many families. Children are isolating away from their school and adjusting to online learning. You may be working from home and are looking for ways to keep your kids happy, engaged, and stimulated. Luckily, many wonderful organizations that are sharing fun online resources for students to continue learning!

This April 22 marks the 50th Annual Earth Day. The first Earth Day took place in 1970, launching the modern environmental movement. In the US, this public outcry of the importance of environmental advocacy resulted in the creation of the Clean Air, Water, and Endangered Species Act and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1). Earth Day is a reminder of the power of individual and community action. This year, the theme of Earth Day 2020 is Climate Change - the biggest environmental challenge to humanity.

Are you looking for creative ways to spark curiosity and engage your kids with marine biology activities? Bring the beach inside with these five activities you can easily do at home to teach your kids about the ocean, marine life, and the threats they are facing. These activities will spark discussions on ways you can reduce your impact on our ocean.

The learning concepts of this activity are best suited for late elementary or early secondary age children, but the activity itself can be fun for any ocean or chemistry enthusiast.