Seaweek

We kicked off this year chatting with Sara from Seaweek, an awesome New Zealand initiative inspiring Kiwis to take better care of the ocean.  

Who is behind Seaweek?
Seaweek is a national celebration of the sea coordinated by the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE). NZAEE is a not for profit organization, an independent voice for environmental education, with a focus on promoting and supporting lifelong learning and encouraging behaviours that lead to sustainability for New Zealand.

This year, a small team of people at Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre (MERC) are partnering with NZAEE to coordinate Seaweek events in Auckland and across the country. There is also a network of amazing Regional Coordinators in different parts of the country who help bring their communities and stakeholders together and promote collaboration for events in their region.

When was Seeweek created & how long has it been around?
Seaweek began in Australia as an art competition with a marine theme in 1987. Then in 1992 Seaweek started up here in New Zealand as NZAEE’s flagship marine education & engagement event, it has been run annually here for almost 30 years and has grown substantially over that time.

What is your core mission as a team?
Our mission is to inspire care for the ocean by facilitating learning from and celebrating the spectacular sea that surrounds us. We aspire to strengthen the sense of connection Kiwis have to the ocean and increase the responsibility that individuals feel towards the marine environment so more people will choose to respect and nurture it.

What is Seeweek’s next big goal?
Our goal is to have more Kiwis celebrating & connecting with our seas during Seaweek 2020 than ever before! We want to reach communities that aren’t close to the sea and get the message of connection across – that what happens inland, no matter how far away from the sea, still has an impact on our ocean. This is reflected in the Seaweek 2020 theme and whakatauki; Connecting With Our Seas ~ Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au - I am the sea, the sea is me.

Any words of wisdom?
In terms of a few words of wisdom, we want to remind everyone that we can all make a difference, but if we act together we can make change.

What’s your favourite Rethink product & how do you use it?
We love to use Rethink canvas bags for carrying anything and everything but also don’t go shopping without the reusable produce bags! They are so handy and such good quality! they have been used for keeping hundreds of fruits from running loose at checkout and will be reused for many years to come.

For more information contact us at seaweek@merc.org.nz
Visit our webpage to find an event near you! https://www.seaweek.org.nz/

Follow us on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/seaweek/
https://www.instagram.com/nzaeeseaweek/