Ocean Wise brings whale education to Fraser Valley libraries

Ocean Wise is in the midst of a summer tour, visiting Fraser Valley Regional Library locations from now until Aug. 7.

The tour is giving the public a chance to learn more about oceans and the things that inhabit them.

The Wonderful Whales tour gives people the chance to hold a real whalebone, or ask an ocean expert what can be done to help B.C.’s whale population.

The Ocean Wise Mobile Education team is visiting 19 branches of the Fraser Valley Regional Library, offering a free, all-ages program built around whales, the ocean, and the animals that call the Pacific coast home.

Ocean Wise said in a press release that each stop opens with a 20-minute interactive presentation exploring why whales are critical to ocean health, why they hold deep cultural significance for many Indigenous nations across Canada, and how everyday threats like noise pollution, overfishing, and vessel strikes put them at risk.

Families then move to hands-on Marine Mammals and Pacific Northwest artifact stations, where Ocean Wise educators help them explore real ocean-inspired artifacts and ask questions about the connections between whales, marine life, and healthy ecosystems.

“Hands-on learning is one of the most powerful ways to build a connection to the ocean,” said Samantha Guerard Dimitraki, Manager of Education, Ocean Wise. “When a child gets to hold a real whalebone or ask an educator a question, ocean conservation stops being an abstract idea and becomes something they want to be part of. Programs like this allow us to build a future where more people are ready to take action for a healthy and flourishing ocean.”

No registration is required, and admission is free. The tour is sponsored by the Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL). Find the full details for the tour here: https://ocean.org/event/ fraser-valley-library-tour/.

Tour schedule:

July

August