World Ocean’s Day and Smart Living at the Two Oceans Aquarium…

In our home we take things like Earth Day last week and World Ocean’s Day this week, very seriously and so to join in the event… we had a bit of a think about the things that we do.

In the scheme of environmental crisis where every problem appears to be far bigger than us, the kid in me wants to leave it to “the grown-ups.” Turns out we are the grown-ups, and we have to start doing environmental things ourselves… nobody else is going to fix it. The time has come, the Walrus said… when every little bit really does count. The most important thing we can do is learn more… yes we can make sure that we don’t use chemicals in our homes and we can do beach clean ups… but if we don’t know the “why” behind it, it is very hard to follow through. We recycled, we did beach clean ups, but until we actually grasped exactly where our garbage goes we weren’t vigilant about it. As soon as we knew where our garbage was going it became so much easier to create less garbage… first we reduced our garbage by half… composting and recycling everything… then half again. It can be done. The key is not so much doing something because it is the right thing to do, that’s a start. The key is doing something because the opposite is too horrible to contemplate.

Our local aquarium, The Two Oceans Aquarium and yes we are huge fans, has always been one step ahead of the rest in teaching folk about what must be done to protect the ocean, let’s just begin with the overwhelming beauty…

There is always something new, interesting and just incredible to look at…

Their educational outreach is unprecedented…

We recently visited the Smart Living Exhibit a hands on, touch, feel and engaging learning experience. Games to play, screens to explore, ideas to think about, take home tips and real live learning, without feeling like you are learning at all. This exhibit is exactly like stepping into one of those cool books packed with infographics… only this isn’t a book, it is real life. There are four components to the Smart Living Learning experience:

• Biodiversity: That’s what we need to protect… make the right choices, like composting your compostable garbage… had I known how easy it was I would have started years ago.
• Water: Save it, save it, save it… our present water shortage is critical, make sure that you aren’t responsible for wasting a drop of it.
• Energy: use it carefully, sparingly, be wise… little changes can make a vast difference here and the fact that it costs so much should be enough to get us all lessening our energy usage.
• Waste: Better shopping practices means less packaging and less garbage, we really have to re-think our garbage practices on a global scale… everything we are tossing out, wherever you live… really does end up in the sea.

If you are looking for a way to keep up to speed with your kids and their green living ideas, then head over to the aquarium to find out the what, where and why behind greener living…

• Another Week Another Beach Clean Up…
• Se7en + 1 Visit the Hokulea, World Wide Voyage…
• International Coastal Clean Up Day – A Report Back…
• A Very Educational Visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium…
• World Ocean’s Day And Se7en + 1’s Great Ocean Round-Up
• The Penguin Walk 2014… The Planes, Trains and Automobile Version.
• Se7en +1 Steps to a Beach Clean Up…
• African Penguin Appreciation Day at the Two Oceans Aquarium.
• World Ocean Day And Se7en + 1 Visit South Africa’s Research Vessel.
• Two Oceans Aquarium: So Very Much More Than A Couple of Fish Tanks.
• The Two Oceans Aquarium and the Biomimicry Course.
• Two Oceans Aquarium Penguin Waddle from Fish Hoek to Boulders Beach.
• The Two Oceans Aquarium – Ocean Explorer Boat Trip.
• The Two Oceans Aquarium.
• Se7en+1 Visit the Clipper Round the World Race.
• Clifton by Yacht.