Minister dives into Seaweek celebrations
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For more information on Seaweek activities that happend in the Tauranga area, please contact:
Steph Twaddle
Ranger Community Relations
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Seaweek
Date: 12 March 2008
The honourable Steve Chadwick, Minister of Conservation, took the Seaweek slogan, 'One ocean- it starts with me' literally when she joined in the educational activities on offer at the Mt Maunganui Sea Festival yesterday including learning how to save a stranded whale.
"The ocean is a magical but fragile environment. There are small and easy steps we can all take to ensure we can enjoy the ocean in generations to come," said Ms Chadwick. More than 300 people joined the Minister to learn about protecting the ocean at the second annual Sea Festival; co-ordinated by the Department of Conservation and the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic.
Minister of Conservation at the
Tauranga Sea festival
Families joined in a variety of fun, free activities at the Sea Festival at Mount Maunganui to explore the marine world above and below the water line including rock pool exploration, beach scavenger hunts and dune planting lessons.
Students from around the Bay used the sea as inspiration for a creative writing competition. Over 50 entries were on display at the festival, and the Minister of Conservation awarded prizes to Luke Oxford (Pyes Pa School), Alyce Mayo Goodson (Omanu School), Tia Johnson (Mt Maunganui College) and Jean Blachin (Waihi College) for their clever prose and presentation. Class entries from Rooms 1&5 of Omanu School were also acknowledged as outstanding examples of team work and creativity.
In between beach games, whale stranding demonstrations and Coastguard boat rides, festival goers were entertained with live music and performances from local musicians including Tauranga Samba, Derrin Richards and Kathy Lawson's Animated Soundz.
Volunteers from a dozen different organisations and agencies worked together to host the event and promote the common message that we can all help to protect the ocean, including Coast Guard, Forest and Bird, Ngaiterangi Inc Soc, Ministry of Fisheries, the Lionesses, Mount Mainstreets and local councils
"This event wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors More FM, the Port of Tauranga, Creative Tauranga, Naturally Native, Ocean Organics and the enthusiasm of the organisations that have hosted activities this afternoon," said event co-ordinators Steph Twaddle and Emma Andrucci.
Seaweek is a national celebration of the marine environment led by the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education. Events were held around the country from March 2 - 9 2008. Visit www.seaweek.org.nz to find out more.