The world is a big place, and there is plenty of it to discover. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things threatening the planet, such as global warming and pollution, which are making it harder for some of our magnificent wildlife to survive.
It is important for all of us to understand the dangers that the world faces, and to do all we can to educate our children on how they can make a positive impact on the environment – after all, every little helps!
Some schools find it important to teach their pupils about the importance of conservation, however it isn’t always a required part of the school curriculum. This means that children around the world aren’t receiving a full understanding of the issues affecting our planet.
The oceans, in particular, need serious investment and attention when it comes to conservation. If you want to teach your child about the importance of marine conservation, and what they can do, here’s our tips on helping marine life.
Always Recycle
It’s a sad fact that more than 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year. This includes millions of plastic bags, bottles, and pieces of food packaging.
14% of all litter comes from drinks containers, and this doesn’t even include bottle caps and labels.
Teach your children the importance of recycling, and encourage them to use reusable drinks bottles and food containers, such as lunch boxes. This can have a big impact, as it will reduce the amount of disposable plastic you use and waste.
Why not make it part of your weekly routine to work together to sort the recycling out? You could treat your little one to some extra time reading or a trip out as a reward!
Take Part In Beach Cleans!
Another way you can help reduce the amount of litter that overwhelms our oceans is to take part in a beach clean.
Beach cleans are an awesome way to meet new people, whilst cleaning up our shores from rubbish. It’s important to ensure the beach clean you are involved is recognised by an environmental organisation and follows the correct health and safety procedures, such as Save Our Beach and Love My Beach.
Many attractions, such as SEA LIFE Blackpool, reward those who take part in beach cleans by offering free or discounted entry after the big event – so you and the family can make a day out of it!
Watch Your Water
By being aware of the amount of water you use, you’ll be able to use less. Think about turning the tap off whilst you brush your teeth, or not taking overly-long showers and you’ll be able to reduce your water usage.
All these small efforts will have an impact on the oceans, as they will result in less of the runoff and wastewater that pollute the oceans.
Learn About The Underseas
By teaching your children about the many amazing creatures that call the ocean home, you will encourage them to think about how their actions impact the environment. Children who know more about the world around them, will be more invested in keeping it clean and safe for the wildlife that lives there.
Visiting places like SEA LIFE Blackpool is an excellent way to learn about creatures we aren’t usually able to see up-close, such as black tip reef sharks, stingrays, and starfish. Another idea that I actually did for my children was taking them on a san diego whale watching tour. The kids got to see these majestic creatures up close and personal. It made marine life personal for them.
Keep up with your underwater knowledge with more facts about the planet as well as some jaw-some facts about sharks.