The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo flooded visitors with conservation tips to celebrate World Oceans Day over the weekend.
This year, in light of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the zoo provided information about the spill and about the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The organization is working with the zoo to help animals affected by the spill by rehabilitating them and releasing them back into the wild.
About 200 attended both days of the event, which was intended to help educate people on how their daily activities affect the oceans, said Tarah Jacobs, the event coordinator and a conservation education specialist at Santa Fe.
The event, which is in its third year, featured coloring, an arts and crafts table with seafood origami, and a children’s sea turtle researcher game.
World Oceans Day, which is today, was recognized by the United Nations in June 2008.
Jacobs said there are simple things people can do to help with the ocean’s ecosystem like shutting off the water while brushing your teeth or choosing your area’s most sustainable seafood items at restaurants because most seafood is over-fished.
The zoo’s conservation efforts included ocean facts posted around the zoo and information packets based on Seafood Watch, a seafood advisory list.
Kristen Reecer, Santa Fe zoology technology student and an event volunteer, said she hopes that what people learn at the event, they’ll share with others, which will bring more awareness to the issue.
