Have you ever wondered where all the water goes when it rains?
Have you ever wondered what happens when anything other than water ends up in the river or swamp?
All that water - and anything that's in the water - ends up in the sea. That shouldn't be a problem, after all, it's just a bit of water right? Unfortunately, anything in our waterways, that isn't water creates a huge problem for everything that lives in or by the water. When too much fertilizer is used, the surplus runs off the land and into the waterways. This causes algae to grow and the amount of oxygen in the water to drop. It is almost impossible for anything to survive in the waterway.
Plastic just breaks down to smaller and smaller pieces. Zooplankton eat these micro-plastics. Small marine life forms get eaten by larger ones, so that means that large marine animals and birds eat plastics. Poor things, they must be starving! What happens if they die out?
That's where you come in and help out. Seaweek is New Zealand’s annual national week about the sea. It is hosted by the NZ Association for Environmental Education, opens a new window. In 2019, Seaweek's theme is:
“Tiakina o Tātou Mōana – Care for our Seas”.
Seaweek will run from Saturday 2 March to Sunday 10 March 2019. You will have the opportunity to learn more about our seas and make a real change to our oceans.
Seaweek at Christchurch City Libraries
Seaweek Public Talk: What’s in a teaspoonful of seawater? Tuesday 5 March 5.30pm to 7pm at Spark Place, Tūranga
Paul Broady is Adjunct Senior Fellow at University of Canterbury and also presents talks at schools and community groups. He believes that a public awareness of the roles of microorganisms in natural ecosystems will help society to make decisions that will ensure a better future.
Join us for Seaweek Storytimes and activities.
Seaweek in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula
Just before Seaweek:
- Farewell to the Godwits Wednesday 20 February
- Estuary Fest Saturday 23 February (subscribe to the Facebook event)
During Seaweek:
- Christchurch Beach and Coastal Cleanup - Saturday 2 March (subscribe to the Facebook event)
- South Brighton Estuary Edge Clean Up Saturday 9 March
- Wetland Detective Exploration Walk Sunday 10 March
Find more:
- Visit Seaweek's What’s On pages
- Browse Christchurch / Canterbury Seaweek events
More about Seaweek and the New Zealand seas
It is easy to get involved:
- Like Seaweek on Facebook
- Make use of Seaweek resources
- Follow NZAEE Seaweek on Instagram
- Visit Seaweek's What’s On pages
- Read our page on Seaweek
- Read a book from my Childrens booklist or my list for students and adults.
Add a comment to: Seaweek 2019