Turtle Island Restoration Network staff is collaborating with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary staff for a Sea Turtle in the Sanctuary initiative.
Throughout this school year, programs have been presented to students through in-class presentations on the sanctuary, sea turtles and solutions for reduction of marine debris in our ocean.
The Sea Turtles in the Sanctuary education program has delivered science-based environmental education programs that inspires Galveston Island students in grades K-12 to learn about the unique coral ecosystems of the sanctuary and other Gulf habitats, and outlines simple conservation actions.
The initiative will also launch the first two Ocean Guardian Schools in the Gulf of Mexico.
An Ocean Guardian School makes a commitment to the protection and conservation of its local watersheds, the world’s ocean and special ocean areas like national marine sanctuaries. The school makes this commitment by proposing and then implementing a school- or community-based conservation project.
Two Galveston schools will be selected for the 2017-18 school year, and projects may include students recycling plastic bottles and fishing line, creating a community garden and rain water collection system, and reducing any debris from entering the ocean.
Turtle Island Restoration Network Gulf of Mexico is also working with local street artist Gabriel Prusmack on a wall-sized mural on the band shell at McGuire-Dent Recreation Center, 2222 28th St.
This work-in-progress has been highly visible to passing motorists and pedestrians. When completed, the mural will include the five species of sea turtles found in the Gulf of Mexico: the leatherback, loggerhead, hawksbill, green and Kemp’s ridley.
The mural is designed to raise awareness about Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary and sea turtles and has been made possible with support of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Prusmack donated a portion of his time and Sherwin Williams donated paint to complete the effort.
As a permanent public art piece, the mural offers the potential of educating tens of thousands of residents and visitors about sea turtles and the sanctuary.
Prusmack has completed the mural and we would like to extend an invitation to the dedication ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday.
TIRN and sanctuary staff will be on-site to talk about the project and ways for you to be involved in ocean conservation projects.
Joanie Steinhaus is the Gulf Coast campaign director of the Turtle Island Restoration Project.
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This mural is going to be GREAT! I can hardly wait!
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