This planetarium-style dome is travelling Canada to teach kids about the ocean
The Ocean Wise project hopes to empower youth with easy tasks to help animals living in the ocean, and those affected by climate change.
It’s a sweltering June summer day in Calgary as students pile into their school gym.
Excited voices float over the noise of a fan running air into the large blue dome sitting in the corner as kids of all ages settle in to learn about climate change, the Arctic, and ocean animals.
The immersive experience is designed to highlight connections between ocean health, climate change, and daily life — and get kids excited about ocean conservation with marine artifacts and sessions on the Arctic, reefs and turtles. (Rachel Maclean)
“We had one school tell us that this was the best period ever in their school career,” said Catriona Wilson, manager of mobile programs for Ocean Wise.
The idea is to educate youth who don’t live in coastal areas about the connections between the ocean and climate health. (Rachel Maclean)
It’s all part of a Waves of Change travelling exhibit funded by the Canadian government — in addition to partners GreenLearning, Taking IT Global, and the Centre for Global Education — to “bring ocean education to schools, youth groups, and communities coast to coast.”
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Wilson, with help from very patient volunteers on their mobile education team, has been “transporting” youth under the sea with the help of the 360-immersive experience that the six-metre dome has to offer as they set it up across the country.
The planetarium-style dome, which projects 360-degree 4K cinematic footage of the ocean and its creatures, is paired with interactive exhibits where students experience some hands-on learning. (Rachel Maclean)
They also bring along several bones, furs, and shells so the young learners can really feel what these animals are like.
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“Lots of kids are surprised when they feel an Arctic fox fur, for example,” said Wilson. “It's so very fluffy. And they're also surprised by how rough a polar bear fur is.”
Students got a chance to "pet" a polar bear after this fur was donated to the travelling exhibit. (Rachel Maclean)
So how do kids react to the pop-up ocean adventure?
“The dome experience was amazing. It just blew my mind apart,” said St. Joseph School student Julian Wilson. “I really loved this presentation, and it actually really made my day.”
Students like Julian Wilson can 'swim' with schools of mackerel gliding overhead, dive alongside a squid, and explore B.C.’s kelp forests all thanks the Ocean Wise Sea Dome. (Rachel Maclean)
But they’re not done yet, and have a packed schedule for the next few weeks as they continue on their months-long journey.
The team will be in Saskatchewan — Regina until July 21, and then on to Saskatoon — before heading back to Alberta. Next year the experience is heading to Manitoba and Ontario, and then the Maritimes and Quebec the following year.
Ever seen a narwhal tusk? It's one of the more magical moments the kids get to experience. (Rachel Maclean)
Find out more about the dome’s schedule, or how to book it, here and learn more about what you can do to help coastal ecosystems at ocean.org.
Thumbnail image: Students pile into the Ocean Wise Sea Dome in a Calgary elementary school. (Rachel Maclean)
