Plenty
of activities for all
Everyone
likes a party! Kicking off with Celebrate Sound Spirit and culminating
with an Earth Day celebration, Mystic Aquarium is proud to host a party with a
purpose-“Party for the Planet”-on April 19-22, 2018.
“At
Mystic Aquarium, we can’t limit the celebration to just one day,” said MaryEllen
Mateleska, Director of Conservation and Education. “We have four days where
children and families can take action in protection of our environment!”
Over
the four-day observance, Mystic Aquarium educators, Youth Conservation Corps
and other local student volunteers and organizations will lead hands-on
activities that highlight unique habitats and conservation issues affecting
ecosystems locally and around the world, and most importantly, what can be done
to help protect the planet.
Thursday through Saturday, daily activities will showcase conservation and stewardship opportunities for public engagement, an overview of Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program and the importance of to being a responsible seafood consumer as well as arts and crafts.
Learn
more about horseshoe crab research, amphibian monitoring, Long Island Sound
water quality monitoring programs and other citizen science programs plus
discover volunteer opportunities and much more.
See how sustainable
seafood options can affect local ecosystems and impact fisheries. Children
experience Long Island Sound biodiversity in a unique way through a fish
printing activity.
The
event is highlighted with daily special guests. On Thursday, Stonington High
School Environmental Studies students will educate visitors on the impacts of
marine debris and plastic pollution while Aquarium interns highlight their work
during table presentations.
On Friday and Saturday, Covanta Energy will
showcase their marine debris toolbox to educate visitors to the effects of
marine debris on habitat and water quality and provide tangible steps for
mitigation.
On
Saturday, April 21, Avalonia Land Conservancy will help visitors discover the
connection between land and sea. Also on Saturday, Mystic Aquarium is
proud to host H&M, the global fashion and design company, for insight on
fashion recycling and its environmental impact.
All
activities are free for members and included with Aquarium admission. For
a complete list of Earth Day activities, visit MysticAquarium.org.
Celebrate
Sound Spirit
activities will also include the second installment of Mystic Aquarium’s Nature
Play in the Green programming- Earth Day Boat Building.
On Saturday, April 21
from 10:00 am to noon, participants will build boats using items scavenged from
the Sea School Green. Seaworthiness will be tested in the Green’s stream. These
monthly Nature Play programs are fun and engaging self-guided activities and
crafts with the goal of connecting kids and families to the great outdoors.
There is no cost for the Nature Play program.
The
celebration culminates on Earth Day with real-world conservation
application. On Sunday, the public is invited to join Mystic Aquarium’s
team at the Dodge Paddock and Beal Preserve in Stonington Borough from
10:00 am-2:00 pm to prepare this unique marshland for the summer.
This
family-friendly event is open to conservationists of all ages, and the Aquarium
will provide work gloves, buckets and gardening tools.
There is no cost for the
Earth Day Restoration; however, registration for this event is requested by
contacting Mystic Aquarium at EducationInfo@MysticAquarium.org.
Dodge
Paddock and Beal Preserve is the last green public space in Stonington Borough.
Over the last several years, Mystic Aquarium, in partnership with landowner
Avalonia Land Conservancy and CT Sea Grant, has worked to restore this 2.6 acre
habitat of freshwater wetlands, tidal salt marsh and coastal grassland systems,
to ensure a healthy home for resident fish, wildlife and migratory water birds,
as well as use tidal circulation to biologically control mosquitos.
The
parcel was once home to a pottery factory, which burned down decades ago, then
restored with native grasses; but rising tides, invasive Phragmites and
Superstorm Sandy have devastated the preserve in recent years. From a
dead, debris-ridden lot, the preserve is now teeming with freshly planted
native grasses and shrubs. Participants of all-ages play a critical role in the
ongoing care of the local marsh
“During
Celebrate Sound Spirit, Thursday, April 19 through Saturday, April 21,
and Earth Day on Sunday, April 22, we invite you to be one of one billion+
caring people around the world who celebrate the planet Earth,” added
Mateleska.