0 Waste: weekly theme June 30 - July 7

One of my goals in having a smaller impact on the earth is to produce zero garbage. Is it possible? Yes. Here's how... 

 Reduce 

• Buy less. Be aware of what you are buying: can its packaging be easily recycled, or even better, reused? 

 Reuse 

• Compost: Start your own compost to use for your organic garden or, if you do not have a garden, lobby your local government to establish the Zero Waste initiative. Zero Waste has played a significant role in reducing the amount of waste filling our landfill by giving each household a small bucket that collects table scraps and soiled paper products to be collected alongside our garbage on garbage pickup day and from there be made into compost. Check out the entire game plan: http://www.beyondcomposting.ca/ 
• Reusable Convenience: You can reuse many used products such as bags and food containers. Be creative, be cheap, be considerate. 
• Get crafty: reuse products when your done with them for crafts. Here's an awesome website featuring crafts made from recyclable objects: http://spoonful.com/crafts/recyclable-projects#carousel-id=content-carousel&carousel-item=2 

Recycle 

• You can recycle almost anything nowadays. Check out your local recycling depot.

 

Bea Johnson is the author of the blog Zero Waste Home.

 

Here are 10 things that the Johnson family does regularly to reduce waste.

1. Bring glass jars, totes, cloth bags, and cartons to the grocery store to carry food.

2. Buy in bulk. It eliminates packaging and can be more economical in the long run.

3. Refill clean empty wine bottles at local wine bottling events instead of buying new ones.

4. Use microfiber cloths instead of paper towels.

5. Consolidate multiple cleaning products into one or two cleaners that do the job just as well -- or, better still, make your own multipurpose cleaner. Johnson uses only one cleaner for everything in the house -- a combination of vinegar, water and castile soap.

6. Use handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues.

7. When buying makeup products, choose a company that takes its packaging back and recycles it. Johnson suggests Mac Cosmetics as one example.

8. Only recycle paper if it's been printed on both sides. Otherwise, use the blank side for making lists or jotting down notes.

9. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.

10. When packing a lunch, wrap sandwiches or other food in a cloth napkin instead of using wax paper, plastic wrap or plastic bags.

Green Your Work-out: June 23rd- June 30th Theme

Summer usually means more free time. This means more opportunity to get into summer shape! This week I'm focusing on being green while working out. 

Be bottle smart

Use a reusable water bottle

Buy Eco-Friendly Gear

....Whether it be a bamboo snowboard or a running jacket made from recycled bottles

Encourage Change

Ask gym to save energy

Persuade friends to take public transit to the game

Get Outside- Skip the Gym

Enjoy your community's local parks and trails

Carpool

"Simple Beauty": Theme of the Week: June 17th-June 24th:

Changing my Beauty Routine to Get Rid of Toxic Chemicals 

There are probably toxic ingredients that could have detrimental effects to your health in your make-up

The David Suzuki Foundation did a survey of cosmetic products and found out that 80% had at least one of the "dirty dozen" toxic chemicals in their ingredients.

The Dirty Dozen and Their Effects:
1) BHA and BHT= endocrine disruptors, may cause cancer (BHA), harmful to fish and other wildlife
2) Coal Tar Dyes= potential to cause cancer, may be contaminated with heavy metals toxic to the brain
3) DEA-related ingredients= potential to cause cancer, harmful to fish and wildlife
4) Dibutyl phthalate= endocrine disruptor, reproductive toxicant, harmful to fish and wildlife
5)Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives= potential to cause cancer
6) Paradens= interference with male reproductive functions, endocrine disruptors
7)Parfum (aka fragrance)= allergies, asthma, some linked to cancer and neurotoxicity, harmful to fish and wildlife
8)PEG compounds= potential to cause cancer
9)Petrolatum= potential to cause cancer
10)Sioxanes= endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicity, harmful to fish and wildlife
11) Sodium Laureth Sulfate= potential to cause cancer
12) Triclosan: suspected endocrine distrupter, and may contribute to antibiotic resistence to bacteria, harmful to fish and wildlife.

This week I plan to change my beauty routine to all natural, homemade products.
Here they are:

Face Scrub: sugar and half & half cream

Shampoo: Baking soda and hot water (be careful with this one!)

Blush: Vaseline and cranberry juice

Eyeshadow: Vaseline and cinnamon 

The finished project!

Featured Endangered Species

Grizzly Bears 

Grizzly bears make their home generally in the uplands of western North America. Except for cubs and females, grizzlies are normally solitary, active animals, but in coastal areas, the grizzly congregates alongside streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds during the salmon spawn. Every other year, females (sows) produce one to four young (commonly two) which are small and weigh only about 500 grams (1 lb). A sow is protective of her offspring and will attack if she thinks she or her cubs are threatened.

Grizzly bears are a known as a keystone species. A keystone species is a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community and whose impact on the community is greater than would be expected based on its relative abundance or total biomass.[1]

Grizzly bears regulate prey species and disperse the seeds of many plant species, such as blueberry and buffaloberry. They also help to maintain plant and forest health, both by aerating the soil as they dig for roots, pine nuts and ground squirrels, and by moving thousands of kilograms of spawning salmon carcasses into the forest, where trees and other plants absorb their high levels of nitrogen.

---

[1] "Grizzly Bears." David Suzuki Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 June 2012. <http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/wildlife-habitat/science/critical-species/grizzly-bears/>.

Today's Endangered Species: Marine Turtles

June 12th 

Marine Turtles 

 

Status: Endangered to critically endangered

Number Remaining: Six of the seven species of marine turtles are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, and the outlook is increasingly grim

Habitat Open water and coastal habitats

Description

• Sea turtles, also called "marine turtles," are air-breathing reptiles with streamlined bodies and large flippers. They are well-adapted to life in the marine environment. They inhabit tropical and subtropical ocean waters throughout the world.
  
• Although sea turtles live most of their lives in the ocean, adult females must return to beaches on land to lay their eggs. They often migrate long distances between foraging grounds and nesting beaches.
  
• According to SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a lifespan of 80 years is feasible for sea turtles
  
• Marine turtles are economically important to humans. In recent years, marine turtles have become increasingly important as an ecotourism attraction.

Main Threats:

• Habitat loss and degradation 
• Hunting and poaching
• Trade 
• Incidental capture 
• Pollution 
• Disease ( fibropapillomas)
• Natural predators and introduced species 

 

What you can do to help

• Send a turtle to rehab! Help the recuperation process for thousands of sick and injured turtles. (WWF)
  
• Don't buy products which have been made from sea turtle parts. Guitars, ashtrays, jewellry and other products made from sea turtles are sold to tourists around the world.

Sources: 

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/marineturtles/marineturtles.html

How Little We Know

What do I say to an adult who asks me why I would risk the economy over protecting, say, a forest. People need houses to live in, land to harvest, to exploit, to accommodate the exponentially growing global population. Why hug the trees?

We don't know alot about nature. We have learned a fantastic volume of it, but we do not understand all of it. Our ignorance should not call for manipulation of nature, rather of awe, wonder, reverence, and preservation of it. If nature provides what we need to live, why sacrifice it for the "economy".

What is worth more: money or the entire planet?

I am a teenager. I don't know much about politics, economics, history, not even that much about geography, biology, and other sectors of science. But I do understand that human life depends on the earth, on its natural resources: air, food, water, and shelter. We can't have those things if we keep on destroying and polluting them.

Featured Endangered Species: Mountain Gorilla

Mountain Gorilla 

 Status: Critically endangered
Due to detrimental human activity, such as poaching, civil war, and habitat destruction, the mountain gorilla has become the most endangered type of gorilla. 
Number Remaining: 700
Location: Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Description  

• Mountain Gorillas live at high elevations, 10,000 feet or higher on the slopes of volcanoes. 
• Mountain gorillas are herbivores, eating plants like wild celery, thistle, and nettles. Special treats are bamboo and bracket fungus. 
• Gorillas live in family troops led by the largest male, called the silverback because of the beautiful silver fur on his back. They are fiercely protective of their young and will defend them literally to the death. Poachers after baby gorillas for international trade often have had to kill entire families to capture their quarry. 
• Female mountain gorillas can produce young beginning at age 10. They carry one or two babies at a time and give birth after a 8.5-month gestation period. In general, they will bear between two and six offspring in a lifetime.
• Newborn gorillas weigh about 1.8 kg (4 lb.) at birth. They are as weak and uncoordinated as human babies. For the first four years of their lives, they get around by clinging to their mothers backs. By 3.5 years of age, the young gorillas are fully weaned from their mothers milk and start the same diet as mature mountain gorillas: plants, leaves, roots and shoots.
• Fully-grown male mountain gorillas can weigh up to 180 kg (400 lb). Females weigh half that at about 90 kg ( 200 lb). Aside from the silver stripe on their backs, male mountain gorillas are distinguished from females because they have a crest of fur on their heads. Both genders have similar thick black hair covering their body. Their thick hair keeps them warm in cold mountain temperatures

What You Can Do to Help

To help, you can make donations to the International Gorilla Conservation Program. You can also support the Gorilla Fund International, set up by conservationist Dian Fossey.

Sources:
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animalfacts/mountain-gorilla/
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_gorilla.htm

The Latest Alberta Oil Spill

Who, What, Where, When, How, Why 

 

Who: Plains Midstream Canada pipeline 

What: Up to 3,000 barrels (475,000 liters) of crude oil have spilled from a Plains Midstream Canada pipeline into a tributary of the Red Deer River. 

Where:  The oil spilled into Jackson Creek near the community of pristine wilderness: Sundre, about 100 kilometers from Red Deer, Alberta

When: The spill was discovered Thursday night (June 7^th, 2012)

How: Ruptured pipeline  

Why: Pipelines conveying flammable or explosive material, such as natural gas or oil, pose special safety concerns.

Leaks and ruptures are seemingly inevitable.

World Oceans Day

June 8th is World Oceans Day

The theme this year is Youth, the Next Wave for Change

• According to World Oceans Day Canada the top 11 issues affecting our oceans...

 1) Overfishing
2) Irresponsible Fish Farming  

3) Ghost Fishing  (when lost or discarded fishing gear continues to catch fish and other marine life) 

4) Garbage  

5) Acidification  

6) Dead Zones  (areas where the sea floor has little to no dissolved oxygen).
 7) Mercury Pollution
8) Offshore Drilling  

9) Whaling and Shark Finning  

10) Ocean Warming  

11) Destruction of Habitat and Coral Reefs

• Here are 11 things now you can do to help:

1.      Mind Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Energy Consumption
2. Make Safe, Sustainable Seafood Choices
3. Use Fewer Plastic Products
4. Help Take Care of the Beach
5. Don't Purchase Items That Exploit Marine Life. Avoid purchasing items such as coral jewelry, tortoiseshell hair accessories (made from hawksbill turtles), and shark products.
6. Be an Ocean-Friendly Pet Owner
Read pet food labels and consider seafood sustainability when choosing a diet for your pet. Never flush cat litter, which can contain pathogens harmful to marine life. Avoid stocking your aquarium with wild-caught saltwater fish, and never release any aquarium fish into the ocean or other bodies of water, a practice that can introduce non-native species harmful to the existing ecosystem.
7. Support Organizations Working to Protect the Ocean
8. Influence Change in Your Community

9. Travel the Ocean Responsibly

10. Educate Yourself About Oceans and Marine Life

11. Tell a Friend And Family Member The Above!!

WORLD OCEANS WEEK EVENT LIST: CANADA

WOD at Nelles Public School

7 Jun 2012 - 7 Jun 2012 Grimsby Canada Nelles Public School, United Nations University Institue for Water, Environment and Health Website: http://www.inweh.unu.edu/ Primary School Art Contest, Film Viewing, and Ocean-Themed Class Worksheets As part of raising the awareness amongst young children (pre-highschool age) UNU IWNEH is organizing a whole day event at a primary school in Grimsby Ontario. Activities revolve around the oceans theme and will include 1) all students wearing blue; 2) an art competition (on large canvass with water paints, free style) amongst the classes (grades 1-6) with an ocean themed prize for the winning class; 3) a 20 minutes short documentary on oceans and ocean-threats in the gym for all classes; 4) ocean-themed worksheets (geography, science, language, and math) that students will be asked to complete; 5) teachers will discuss key facts and threats of oceans, listing 10 things students can do to help protect the oceans; and 6) the school will provide ocean-themed food items during the day (fish crackers etc.).

Bluenose Coastal Action Foundataion First Annual WOD

7 Jun 2012 - 7 Jun 2012 Lunenburg Canada Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (BCAF) Website: http://www.coastalaction.org/index_home.php The Bluenose Coastal Action Foundation (BCAF) invites you to attend the 1st Annual World Oceans Day. BCAF will be hosting a World Oceans Day event to celebrate a vital component of our natural, cultural and historical life, as the event falls on Lunenburg’s birthday and we welcome the new students and staff at the Bluenose Academy. Come join BCAF at the Captain Angus Walters house (37 Tannery Road in Lunenburg) on June 7th from 3:00-9:00pm. The day will be filled with entertainment and activities including live music, refreshments, fun and games, face-painting, an ocean art exhibit with work from students at the Bluenose Academy, presentations for the BCAF bursary and volunteer award, as well as project displays and more! Everyone will be wearing blue to celebrate the big blue sea that connects us all! Hope to see you there!

Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films

8 Jun 2012 - 9 Jun 2012 Vancouver BC Canada Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films Website: http://www.vfof.ca We are very please to announce the third annual Vancouver Festival of Ocean films will be returning June 8th and 9th, 2012. This year, will be presented at Vancouver's premier festival theatre, the VIFF Vancity Theatre, in celebration of World Ocean's Day 2012. As Canada's ocean film festival, we are dedicated to the issues, personalities and the sports of our oceans. Our goal is to present a broad based experience that will leave our audience excited and educated about their relationship with the ocean. I invite you to view our website at www.vfof.ca for a more in depth explanation of our vision.

What Swims Beneath - Celebrating World Oceans Day in Port Moody

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Port Moody BC Canada City of Port Moody Website: http://www.portmoody.ca Friday June 8, 2012 is World Oceans Day. Help us celebrate by learning more about the ocean that’s right on Port Moody’s doorstep with our online quiz! Here’s how easy it is to take the quiz: 1. On Friday June 8, check out the descriptions on the What Swims Beneath page on our website. 2. Identify some of the species that we found off Rocky Point Park and Old Orchard Park. 3. Submit your answers on the online form (available Friday morning) and we’ll enter your name into a random prize draw. That’s it! Everyone who takes the quiz will have a chance to win prizes - books, a gift card donated by the Boathouse Restaurant in Rocky Point Park, free ice cream (compliments of Rocky Point Ice Cream) and a travel mug (compliments of the Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society). We will contact the winners through their email addresses on June 11, 2012.

WOD at Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Halifax NS Canada Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Website: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/whattoseedo/worldoceansday.aspx This year marks the 20th Anniversary for the concept of World Oceans Day, first showcased on June 8, 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, coordinated by the Oceans Institute of Canada. Canada and other countries continue to hold celebrations on June 8 to mark World Oceans Day. As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN on June 8 each year. Activities and events celebrating our oceans and coasts are carried out each year around the world throughout the month of June. Click on the event title for full details!

World Oceans Day @ All Hallows Elementary

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Clarke’s Beach NL Canada All Hallows Elementary Website: A World Oceans Day session at our Elementary school.

World Oceans Day on the Halifax Waterfront

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Halifax Canada Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Website: http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mmanew/en/home/whattoseedo/worldoceansday.aspx This year marks the 20th Anniversary for the concept of World Oceans Day, first showcased on June 8, 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, coordinated by the Oceans Institute of Canada. Canada and other countries continue to hold celebrations on June 8 to mark World Oceans Day. As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN on June 8 each year. Activities and events celebrating our oceans and coasts are carried out each year around the world throughout the month of June. The annual public event on the Halifax Waterfront is one of the largest and longest-held World Oceans Day activities on the East Coast of North America. Please click on event title for full details!

World Oceans Day Celebration at the Vancouver Aquarium

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Vancouver BC Canada Vancouver Aquarium Website: www.vanaqua.org On June 8, join us for a special World Oceans Day celebration at the Vancouver Aquarium! Start your day with a Beluga and yoga session led by yogi, ocean lover, and blissologist, Eoin Finn. Refresh your body and mind with an invigorating yoga workshop while majestic belugas swim in the background. Enjoy a healthy breakfast provided by Choices Markets, as well as global hip-hop and organic beats from DJ Tspoon (Delhi 2 Dublin), Rupinder Sidhu (Banyen Roots), and Ndidi Cascade. Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased online at vanaqua.org. All funds directly support the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program and SeaChoice. Special workshops and presentations offered all day. Cake will be served in the afternoon! Don\'t miss out! vanaqua.org

Yoga with the Belugas

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Vancouver BC Canada SeaChoice and Ocean Wise Website: http://tickets.vanaqua.org/select.aspx?item=588&sch=123688&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 Join Ocean Wise and SeaChoice this World Oceans Day for a beluga inspired yoga adventure. Led by yogi, blissologist and ocean lover, Eoin Finn, this once in a lifetime yoga class will take place in the underwater beluga whale viewing area of the Vancouver Aquarium. With live musical talent, inspirational speakers and breakfast, this is one event not to miss! Click here to reserve a spot.

World Oceans Day at Westdale Secondary School

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Hamilton Canada Westdale Secondary School and the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH) Website: http://www.inweh.unu.edu/ Students from Westdale Secondary School are celebrating World Oceans Day by wearing blue, watching a short documentary about oceans, and competing in an ocean-themed contest to win a prize. They are also encouraged to become "Citizens of the Ocean" by pledging to live in a sustainable manner. Westdale teachers have joined with the Coastal Programme from the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH) to bring students this in-class event and contest that fosters open dialogue and discussion about the world's oceans and the environmental issues they face.

Beach Seining Demonstration and BBQ

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Heatherfield Canada Website: Small Craft Harbours Branch of DFO and the Bayfield Harbour Authority are holding a barbecue for local school children on the morning of June 11th, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, at Bayfield Harbour, NS. A beach seining demonstration will take place, with identification and explanations given on species caught and released. For further details, contact Paul Boyd at 902 863 5670 or send an e-mail to Paul.Boyd @ dfo-mpo.gc.ca

CBU - Big Glace Bay Beach Clean-Up

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Cape Breton NS Canada Cape Breton University Website: On June the 8th, 2012 a Community Studies group from Cape Breton University will be taking a local high class from Glace Bay High School to Big Glace Bay Beach and Bird Sanctuary in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada. The purpose of the trip is to perform a beach clean-up and to install new garbage cans and signage around the area to limit future waste and prevent the problem from getting worse.

Port Morien World Oceans Day Clean-Up

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Port Morien Canada Community Studies Dept. at Cape Breton University Website: With help from a Grade 11 Oceans class from Glace Bay High School, our Community Studies group from Cape Breton University will be cleaning up the Port Morien Beach and educating on the dangers and threats of litter around our oceans, shorelines, and waterways. We invite all who wish to help us along for the fun-filled day! (With Lunch Provided)

World Oceans Day Info-Kiosk at Marine Aquarium

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Shippagan Canada Centre Marin de Shippagan Marine Aquarium Website: An information kiosk about World Oceans Day will be in place at the Centre Marin de Shippagan marine aquarium from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon on June 8th. A DFO staff member will be on site to offer explanations. Between 150 and 170 school children (grades 2 to 5), are expected to visit, and the kiosk will be open to the public. For further details, contact Marc Godin at 506 395 7713 or send an e-mail to Marc.Godin @ dfo-mpo.gc.ca

WOD at the Halifax Waterfront

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Halifax NS Canada Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Website: http://marineaffairsprogram.dal.ca/News%20and%20Events/World_Oceans_Day/ This year's Halifax Waterfront event there over 30 organizations with exhibits and displays, and annually attracts over a thousand visitors. Event highlights include: See, touch, and feel fish and sea creatures up close Learn about Nova Scotia's coastal and ocean resources Visit educational exhibits and interactive demonstrations Take part in the "Celtic Mass for the Sea" Flash Mob at 12:30 pm

World Oceans Day Celebration

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Halifax Nova Scotia Canada Website: http://coinatlantic.ca/documents/wod/Oceans_Day_2012_E.pdf Celebrations in Nova Scotia include an annual public event on the Halifax waterfront that is one of the largest Oceans Day activities on the East coast of North America. The waterfront event which will be celebrated this year on Friday June 8th, is jointly organized by the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Nova Scotia Fisheries and Aquaculture.

World Ocean's Day Festival

8 Jun 2012 - 10 Jun 2012 Victoria BC Canada Maritime Museum of BC Website: mmbc.bc.ca Join the Maritime Museum of BC and Ocean Networks Canada as we partner with businesses and community organizations within the Inner Harbour and surrounding areas for our first annual World Oceans Day Festival, June 8th -10th in Bastion Square. Click on event title for full details!

World Oceans Day Festival in Bastion Square

8 Jun 2012 - 10 Jun 2012 Victoria BC Canada Ocean Networks Canada Website: http://www.onccee.ca/events/2012/06/world-oceans-day From June 8 to 10, the Maritime Museum of B.C. and the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada are co-hosting a free, weekend-long community festival at downtown Victoria’s Bastion Square. This celebration encourages people of all ages to come out and learn how the ocean affects our lives—and how we have an effect on the ocean. Special indoor and outdoor activities include: a fast-paced afternoon speaker series featuring marine research projects, a unique art contest showcasing images and video from researchers studying our beautiful blue planet, and a lively exhibition of local organizations actively involved with oceans. There’ll be lots of hands-on activities for the kids too. So come celebrate with us at the square, 11am to 5pm.

Celtic Mass for the Sea Flash Mob

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Halifax NS Canada Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Website: http://www.greaterhalifax.com/en/home/livinginhalifax/oceans2012.aspx Learn this 4-minute excerpt from ‘The Celtic Mass for the Sea’ and be part of our June 8th, World Ocean’s Day, ‘Flash Mob’ event. Let’s raise our voices for Ocean Awareness! Join us in Halifax at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic wharf. We will gather around a display for the ‘Celtic Mass for the Sea’ and at 12:30pm we will ‘on mass’ perform an excerpt from the Introit. Can’t be with us in Halifax……. you can plan your own ‘Celtic Mass for the Sea’ Flash Mob with your friends, whereever you live. Let us know when and where you will be having your World Ocean’s Day ‘Celtic Mass for the Sea’ Flash Mob then download your music and let’s raise our voices across the miles for Ocean Awareness!

Nanaimo DFO Staff Beach Clean-up

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Nanaimo Canada DFO Website: On World Ocean Day, Friday June 8th, DFO staff from the Nanaimo area will gather at Departure Bay Beach, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., to help clean up the shoreline. By taking action we are setting a positive example for everyone to improve the health of our ocean. Staff working at four different local offices will join together, meeting fellow colleagues and sharing a love for the sea. Though this is a staff event, we always encourage public visiting the beach to join in (and we usually get some takers). We hope all DFO staff offices will take the opportunity to join in and clean up their own local waterways. We are all part of the solution! If you need more information, you can contact Christy Wilson at 250 754 0330 or send an email to Christy.L.Wilson @ dfo-mpo.gc.ca

World Oceans Day at Ermineskin Elementary school

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Hobbema Alberta Canada Ermineskin Elementary school Website: http://librarypathwaysandfootprints.blogspot.ca/ June 8 World Oceans day celebration Draw ocean animals, fishes, flora and fauna, read books about the ocean life, facts about sharks and fishes, Fifi the Fiction Fish puppet theater, sea shell identification, Scavenger hunts, beach art and poetry that the whole family can join in.

Shore Clean-up, Quidi Vidi Lake/The Gut Area

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 St. John’s City Canada DFO Website: On World Oceans Day, come join our DFO staff members for a complete make-over of a beach area! This special day is meant to celebrate the important role of oceans. Let's give our environment a chance by making it a beautiful clean place. Meet at the lower parking area at Quidi Vidi Lake at 2:00 pm. Gloves, garbages bags and safety glasses will be provided. All volunteers are welcome to join us! For further details, contact Melissa Abbott at 709 772 6270 or send an e-mail to oceansday-nl @ dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Canada's Oceans and You - at the ROM

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Toronto Canada Royal Ontario Museum Website: www.rom.on.ca Join the adventourous Water Brothers (TVO video stars) as they share experiences from their world travel, and help inspire kids and adults to appreciate and understand the Oceans. Later, join award winning videographer and film producer Rob Stewart (Sharkwater) as he provides an interactive and passionate talk on his upcoming film "Revolution"; the world premier to be held in September at TIFF and the ROM. The ROM is a world-class museum of natural history, the largest field research museum in Canada. Through the Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, we hope to engage all audiences to make choices that help sustain the planet.

"Faux Fin" Soup for Oceans Day Special

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Calgary Canada Cuisine Concepts Restaurant Group Website: www.big-fish.ca Big Fish is a seafood restaurant dedicated to using sustainable seafood, and we feel strongly about the current crisis surrounding sharks being fished to extinction for their fins. On Friday, we are raising awareness for sharks by serving a Faux Fin Soup, a sustainable version of Shark Fin Soup made with a glass noodle instead of the real thing. All proceeds from the soup will go to support Shark Fin Free Calgary, www.sharkfinfreecalgary.org

WOD Dinner at YEW

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Vancouver BC Canada YEW Website: http://www.yewrestaurant.com/new_from_yew/world_oceans_day_dinner_at_yew/ The Vancouver Aquraium and YEW team up to present a World Ocean's Day Dinner on Friday June 8th, 6:30pm reception, 7:00pm dinner. Don't wait to get your tickets to this intimate and extraordinary dining experience. Only 50 tickets are available which also features a cocktail reception and paired wines from around the world. To buy tickets, please contact Emily Walker, YEW Sales Manager & Sommelier at emily.walker@fourseasons.com or 604.609.5480.

Blue Planet Under Threat: Challenges and Opportunities at Rio+20

8 Jun 2012 - 8 Jun 2012 Halifax Canada Website: Eighth Annual Elisabeth Mann Borgese Ocean Lecture. The eight annual EMB Lecture takes place on World Oceans Day - 8th June, 2012, and focuses on important issues relating to the oceans and the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Blue Planet Under Threat: Challenges and Opportunities at Rio+20 will feature four prominent panel members : Dr Awni Behnam, President, IOI Dr Susanna Fuller, Marine Conservation Co-ordinator, Ecology Action Centre Ms Megan Leslie, MP for Halifax, Deputy Leader and Environment Critic, NDP Hon. David MacDonald, Commons Group

WOD at Toronto Zoo

9 Jun 2012 - 10 Jun 2012 Toronto Zoo Website: http://www.torontozoo.com/Events/?pg=WorldOceansDay The world's oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface and contain approximately 80% of all life on Earth! Join the Toronto Zoo along with others around the world for a creative and fun way to celebrate World Oceans Day and our connection to the sea. Visit our exhibits and special displays that highlight the astonishing diversity of life that exists within our seas!

WOD at Toronto Zoo

9 Jun 2012 - 10 Jun 2012 Toronto ON Canada Toronto Zoo Website: http://www.torontozoo.com/Events/?pg=WorldOceansDay The world's oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface and contain approximately 80% of all life on Earth! Join the Toronto Zoo along with others around the world for a creative and fun way to celebrate World Oceans Day and our connection to the sea. Visit our exhibits and special displays that highlight the astonishing diversity of life that exists within our seas!

Coastal Zone Canada Conference 2012

9 Jun 2012 - 14 Jun 2012 Rimousk Canada Coastal Zone Canada Conference Website: http://www.czc2012-zcc2012.org/Accueil-eng.asp Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Université du Québec à Rimouski will co-chair this major event, which provides a forum for the exchange of ideas between oceans and coastal zone experts, practitioners, decision-makers and other interested parties. More information is available online at http://www.czc2012-zcc2012.org

Underwater Ocean Conservation Circuit for Scuba Divers

9 Jun 2012 - 9 Jun 2012 Le Club Total Diving - Montreal Scuba Website: http://totaldiving.com Come on in to celebrate World Oceans Day

World Ocean Day Celebrations at the Fundy Discovery Aquarium

9 Jun 2012 - 9 Jun 2012 St. Andrews Bay of Fundy Canada Huntsman Marine Science Centre Website: http://huntsmanmarine.ca/events.php?ex=h&action=edit&id=25 The future of ocean conservation is in all of our hands and The Fundy Discovery Aquarium has an action packed day planned for Saturday, June 9th, in celebration of World Oceans Day. There will be hourly draws for prizes, gift shop specials all day and The Tide radio station will be joining us from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In addition to our daily seal feedings at 11:00a.m.and 4:00p.m., there will be other interactive activities designed to raise ocean awareness.

World Oceans Day Display

9 Jun 2012 - 9 Jun 2012 St. Andrews Canada St. Andrews Biological Station Website: The St. Andrews Biological Station will present a World Oceans Day display at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre, 139 Water Street, on Saturday June 9th, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The display will feature scientific research materials and a touch tank. If you need more information, you can contact Suzanne Taylor at 506-529-5884 or send an e-mail to Suzanne.Taylor @ mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca

World Oceans Day Free Family Event

9 Jun 2012 - 9 Jun 2012 St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada Website: http://www.fishaq.gov.nl.ca/education/kids.html The Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University is holding a free kid-friendly event! Click here to learn more, and click on event name to see location map. located at , St. John\'s, NL. Refer to the map below for directions.

World Oceans Day Beach Walk

9 Jun 2012 - 9 Jun 2012 Qualicum Beach Canada Seashore Science Website: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seashore-Science/378228355551629 Celebrate World Oceans Day with Seashore Science! Explore oceanside with our one hour beach walks June 9th in Qualicum Beach, starting at 3:00pm and 4:00pm; by Donation. Discover plants, animals, and shells on the beach! Learn how to use pitfall traps and have fun! Email seashorescience @ gmail.com to sign up!

Composting with Kids

I recently did a composting presentation for three classrooms at my school: grade 1/2, grade 3, and preschool. As part of the presentation, the kids examined my compost from home with magnifying glasses. They freely and enthusiastically scooped up worms, millipedes, woodbugs, and any other goodies they could find. 

This is important- this fearlessness keeps them in touch with nature. If they establish an early connection with nature, then the next generation will revere it and preserve it. 

I am saddened and frustrated by the amount of people my age afraid of insects, spiders, and just plain old dirt. But that is life. Real life.

Let's keep in touch with it.