Kelp/Algae Geospatial Presentation

[Kristina Mccowin]

Hi Everyone!

Birch Aquarium's Earth Day Celebration called Party for the Planet is a family-friendly event held as part of an annual initiative from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Party for the Planet is centered on ocean stewardship! This year’s celebration will feature an upcycled kelp art project crafted by Barrio Logan-based fabric artist Sew Loca, climate communicators from Estudio Planeteando, and improvisational performances by Imagine Theatre Company—and of course, our hourly parade through the aquarium, which some of you may remember from last year.

The event will be April 20 and 21 from 11am-3pm.  

If we only wanted to participate on one day, the aquarium can make that work too.

A  table, tv screen, and easels can be provided by the aquarium. 

To participate, we need to come up with an algae or giant kelp geospatial presentation that helps celebrate or expand on their new holdfast exhibit.

It needs to be kid and adult friendly with hopefully a fun activity the kids can participate in at the table or around the aquarium (like my previous idea of a scavenger hunt).

All ideas are welcome so let's put our conservation brains together and get creative!

For background information, please check out the links below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=2V9SeVxBSi8 (Science behind Hold Fast exhibit)

https://library.ucsd.edu/news-events/events/ebb-and-flow/ (Sister exhibit at UCSD Library)

https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/newsroom/new-art-exhibition-take-hold-birch-aquarium 

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Ideas:

• Creating/displaying a digital or paper map of local kelp forest
• Teaching people how to use iNaturalist to identify and participate in citizen science
• A fun game or coloring page about kelp

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If you want to participate please respond with your availability to this post.

Please also post any and all ideas, even if you can't participate. 

Think of mostly young kids who do not have their own tablet or cell phone to use. Parents and older kids might be willing to download iNaturalist though!

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Also please add us on LinkedIn if you haven't already! We are working on other ways to communicate easily, but I started there.

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14352002/

[Kristina Mccowin]

Good afternoon everyone,

Please let me know if you can commit to attending one day (April 20 or 21st) of the Party for the Planet by Sunday March 17th.  

I want to confirm with the aquarium that we will participate and I want to start working on a presentation they will approve of.

One of our group members, Jeff Lewis, did his capstone on kelp forest recovery within Marine Protected Areas, so we have a great place to start for our presentation.

Thank you,

Kristina