WHALECOME BACK MARINE EXPLORERS!

Sea Synergy Marine Awareness + Education Centre have been very busy these past few months in Waterville, getting back up and running for the first school term in this ‘new normal’. They have been creating online activities and media while developing blended learning and outdoor classroom ideas, hoping to inspire the next generation of Ocean Champions in Kerry. 

 Sea Synergy are delighted to again be delivering  the ‘Explorers Education Programme’ on behalf of the Marine Institute which they have been doing in Kerry since 2015. The programme aims to educate primary school children and teachers enabling them to understand the oceans influence on us and our influence on the ocean, through outreach and activities in Ireland. It builds on Ireland’s marine and maritime heritage by increasing awareness of the value, opportunities and social benefits of our ocean wealth and identity. 2020 brought some challenges but nothing the fantastic team couldn’t handle, going virtual, adhering to new guidelines and like many others adapting for new protocols. They have participated in Covid-19 training for the workplace and will follow all the necessary guidelines when teaching on the seashore and in the classroom.

For schools not as close to the seashore and especially during these unprecedented times the Explorers Education Programme have developed a new programme that can bring the seashore right into your classroom ‘Wild about Wildlife’ short educational clips on marine topics such as Fish and Crustaceans will now mean everyone gets to experience the seashore without even putting your wellies on. Also Sea synergy can offer virtual class room visits to continue live distance ocean learning for teachers  and their students.

Other changes here at Sea Synergy this season;  Rebecca Murphy who volunteered with Sea Synergy in 2019 as an Education and Activities Intern has joined the team as an Education Officer. She graduated with a degree in Ecology and Environmental Biology from UCC and has undertaken numerous Seashore Safaris with hundreds of children in South Kerry. Rebecca’s favorite fun fact about the sea is that the world’s longest ocean mountain chain is actually under the sea “‘The Mid- Atlantic Ridge’, stretching a massive 65,000km, it is less explored than the surface of Mars!”

-Explorers Education Programme in Kerry