West End, Bahamas -
On Monday, October 8th, shark conservationists Jillian
Morris and Duncan Brake spent some time with the 4th, 5th
and 6th graders at the West End Primary School in Grand Bahama
Island.
Morris and Brake are marine biologists who now both
film professionally around the world. They spent a great deal of time
at the Sharklab in Bimini, with Duncan acting as the media manager for
2.5 years. Together they run a media company called Oceanicallstars,
which creates media that focuses on ocean conservation and what people
can do to help our oceans.
Although work keeps them traveling most of the time,
they love visiting classrooms to speak with kids about sharks. Sharks
have a bad reputation, but are vital for the survival of our oceans.
The Bahamas recently established a shark sanctuary and it is important
for the next generation to understand how they can make sure that The
Bahamas and our oceans always have sharks.
Many times children think they are too young or too
small to do anything, but we all how a voice no matter how young or
old we are. Kids are powerful in the movement to make change, so giving
them the tools and knowledge to speak up with is necessary. They have
an unrivaled energy and enthusiasm and truly are the future of our oceans.
Kids in the Bahamas are lucky because the ocean is their, “backyard,”
and they can explore it with relative ease.
“ There is nothing like the smiles and the stories
that children want to share about sharks. I am always surprised at how
much they actually know and their capacity to really love these animals,
“ says Morris.
Morris and Brake are making plans to speak at the
some of the other schools on the island in the near future.
www.oceanicallstars.com and
www.shark-girl.com
