Dandenong Ambassadors were greeted with brilliant sunshine for their first 2021 Workshop at the beautiful Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary! The students were just so excited to meet with us face to face, and they absolutely loved the activities with many commenting that learning had never been so much fun! Ambassadors participated in a range of activities designed to highlight the importance of marine sanctuaries and some of the issues they face, and how they can help contribute to a healthier environment, and of course, have fun at the same time!
The Ambassadors learned all about the amazing world of seagrass and all the strange and diverse invertebrates that call this essential habitat their home. In fact, they were so engaged with trying to find critters we had to extend the session into tea time!
The Ambassadors also had a great time learning all about dolphin and whale identification and why we use identification as an indication of the health of the bay as well as checking up on how our resident dolphins and visiting whales are doing!
After snack time we all headed out for a litter collection and the Ambassadors learned about the many pathways litter can take to reach the beach and our beautiful bay! The Ambassadors also learned about how identifying the sources of local litter and reporting to relevant authorities can lead to positive changes in environmental regulations!
Finally, we headed out to the rock platform for a rockpool ramble and the Ambassadors had a great time learning how to handle the animals safely and then searching for sea urchins, crabs, snails and many other marine critters that reside in and around the rockpools!
Thank you SO much to the City of Greater Dandenong, ISIC coordinators, teachers, parents and carers, for, without your support, fabulous experiences such as today would not be possible!