Abstract
Creating, sharing, and using marine and environmental information about the Bay of Fundy and its watersheds has been the longstanding mantra of BoFEP. A Working Group on Ocean Literacy was set up in 2018 to enhance this communication effort in an era of climate change. We need a more informed public and “youth,” in whose hands the future of the Bay and its coastal waters lies. After many presentations, panels, and informal discussions, we have now engaged and worked with the public education school system in NS. Recently we conducted a Professional Development (PD) Day for high school teachers, focusing on the ocean and its relationship with climate change. The planning and delivery of the PD Day was carried out in collaboration with a number of experienced teachers familiar with the current “Oceans 11” program in NS. We report on this achievement and describe the presentations and support materials (tool kit) developed for teachers’ use in their classrooms and outside. The post-PD Day review will point to a follow-up agenda. Ocean and climate literacy continues to be a major focus of BoFEP, in line with the UN Decade on the Ocean and the activities of groups in Canada such as the Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition (COLC) and the Canadian Network for Ocean Education (CANOE). This talk should galvanize discussion about the importance of ocean literacy throughout the Bay of Fundy community and beyond. An engaged, informed, and proactive community will lead to better-protected and managed maritime coastal waters.
Citation
Butler, M., McPherson, K., Wells, P. G., Rolston, S., Eger, S., & Rebitt, S. (2024). The ocean and us in an era of climate change. ACCESS/BoFEP 2024, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, 4-7 June 2024.
Related Blog Post
Khan, J., Legault, A., Margeson, K., Martinez Calderon, D. & Wells, P. G. (4 July 2024). “Tides of Change” – The ACCESS-Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership Conference, 4-7 June 2024. EIUI Blog. https://eiui.ca/tides-of-change-the-access-bay-of-fundy-ecosystem-partnership-conference-4-7-june-2024/