The Ocean Elders launch new online education series

ocean elders logo
Image from Ocean Elders
Clare Kelly
by Clare Kelly
14 April 2020

The decisions we make today should lead to a sustainable world seven generations into the future.

It’s this principle that underlies the work of the Ocean Elders and that spurred on the creation of their brand new YouTube series. 

With the majority of kids worldwide now schooling from home, and with teachers needing to adopt new ways of remote teaching, the Ocean Elders are harnessing their expertise to provide a new online resource that helps fill the environmental gap present in so many schools’ curricula.

Ocean Elders 'Town Hall' sessions give attendees the unique opportunity to directly interact with some of the world's leading scientists and environmentalists. Questions are posed through a combination of texts and live concersation – and for those that miss the live event, the sessions can be viewed on their YouTube channel.

Lessons about nature, natural ecosystems and ocean research remind us how much we depend on the environment for our health and our futures. Now more than ever young people need to understand how nature’s ecosystems work – and how humans can work sustainably within them. 

The first Town Hall of the series featured Sylvia Earle, oceanographer, National Geographic explorer-in-residence, and founder of Mission Blue. Sylvia and her daughter, Liz Taylor, had hundreds of questions queued up during their session and together they discussed how our depleted and stressed natural systems gave rise to COVID-19. Also on the channel is an incredible session on plastic pollution, featuring a vibrant discussion between the hosts Dianna Cohen, of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and Shelby O'Neil of Jr Ocean Guardians.  

The next Town Hall will feature Darryl Burton, a thought leader in healthcare, talking about the role of blockchain in bringing ‘citizen owned’ data to our healthcare system. To take part, register here.

_____________

Ocean Elders was created to be a locus of collaboration in the field of ocean conservation. By working with and leveraging the work of other ocean organizations, Ocean Elders influences governments and business decision-making to stimulate the protection and preservation of marine ecosystems