MRPS Year 5 students are stepping off the familiar sands of Gnarabup Beach and into the water, as they become custodians and stewards of the ocean at EMA’s first Australian site.
Nature Conservation MR (led by project co-ordinator Tracey Muir), are working hand-in-hand with French marine scientists to launch the EMA project, which is:
“an Australian first marine program turning local students into citizen scientists, empowering them to solve problems affecting our ocean and coastline. It involves local school students working hand-in-hand with marine researchers and cultural custodians to become stewards for a stretch of coastline nearby. They don masks and wetsuits to survey the marine ecosystem and identify threats such as algae blooms, plastic pollution or species loss. They also meet with stakeholders before devising and voting on solutions, putting them into practice, and sharing the learning with the community – inspiring more action.
EMA Australia founders and marine research scientists Dr Pierre Bouvais and Dr Kim Lema said it was vital that young people feel inspired and empowered to bring solutions to the issues facing our oceans.
extract from Nature Conservation Margaret River Region website
In an exciting start to the school year, MRPS students from T2, T3, T4 and Room 11 have been learning how to protect this special site during Term 1 as part of this innovative approach to marine conservation.
In this audio clip from ABC Radio, you can hear students, Harper B, Mia E and Rosie K, being interviewed at Gnarabup Beach on 3rd April..
So the next time you get your toes gritty with sand on the beach or you dip your feet into the silky blue waters of our oceans, spare a thought for the work that goes into marine conservation and practise being a citizen-scientist yourself.
Written, posted by Dawn Veary; Photo supplied by Jenny Robb
Canteen
Fantastic initiative!