Several organisations and community groups came together to host celebrations of the ocean in pockets of the Northland region during Seaweek. We are pleased to have been able to collaborate with organisers and support many of these initiatives. This year's ocean-inspired events included a trivia night, family activities at Moana Exploration Day, a museum exhibition and a workshop for teachers.
Creative Initiatives
Ocean Mind Project held an Ocean Trivia Night on Wednesday 6 March at Phat House Brewery. A great crowd gathered for an awesome night of ocean-inspired trivia, with questions covering everything from 'mamas of the ocean' to 'weird and wacky creatures of the deep'. There was a sea creature costume contest and fantastic prizes, including free passes to the Northland Fritter Festival and locally made artwork. Congrats to the winners of the quiz, the Paihia Dive Shop team!
Ocean Mind Project also held a nationwide ‘Rockin Reef’ Seaweek Colouring Contest for under 12-year-olds - receiving nearly 200 entries! The Rocking Reef and extra Kelp & Kina colouring pages, linked at the bottom of this page, helped participants learn about reef ecosystems and were a great way for kids to get creative. The contest prize was an Ocean Mind t-shirt, an ocean-inspired colouring book and eco-friendly crayons, awarded to Leah Kim, age 9.
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Family Fun in the Bay of Islands
Moana Exploration Day on Saturday 9 March hosted by TriOcean and Ocean Mind Project brought together about 120 people for an open day on Aroha Island. People of all ages could get involved with a community art display, ocean-themed games, crafts, and an under-the-sea virtual reality experience. An education display and marine mammal activities sparked interest in local marine research and conservation. Participants reported that they "loved every minute of the day" and that the event allowed for the sharing of knowledge between many different people and groups.
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More Community Engagement
Bayly’s Beach Society hosted its annual Seaweek Celebration on Saturday 10 March. The day brought the community together with a free sausage sizzle, mussel fritters and activities for children. Families enjoyed a sand sculpture competition, treasure hunt and beach games, while also learning about beach safety and ocean awareness. Also on the 10th at Te Haumi, Bay of Islands there was an Ocean Mind beach clean!
Kiwi North offered a special Life and Tides exhibition over Seaweek, which displayed preserved sea creatures from Whangārei’s Museum of Fishes through a contemporary lens. While the fish were once viewed as trophies, the exhibit recontextualised them as advocates for their species and representatives of a delicately balanced ecosystem.
Northland Regional Council also ran a Marine Pests Teacher’s Workshop on Thursday 21 March. This workshop helped teachers learn about marine pests, how to monitor them, and how to incorporate this knowledge into school curriculums.
A big thanks to all who participated and hosted Seaweek events! Several of the above engagements in addition to some activities in schools and kindergartens were supported by Foundation North funding. Ngā mihi nui!
