Sharks of BC
EXPLORE | LEARN | CONSERVE
Project Details
An education campaign focused on spreading awareness about the species of sharks with whom we share our coast.
Project Description
Sharks of BC is an education campaign focused on spreading awareness about the species of sharks with whom we share our coast, including their unique biology, habitats, and behaviour, as well as the threats they face, and how we can help. Another issue I wanted to address was the lack of accessibility in science, as information is often locked behind paywalls or hiding within technical jargon, so I’ve used art as a more accessible medium for people to engage with science. Phase I of the project was the creation of an educational colouring book featuring each of the confirmed shark species in BC, which was available for free to those who were interested. Phase II of the project has been creating a science communication Instagram account with a similar goal, this time featuring my own art, which I’ll be continuing with in the future.
What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was definitely creating a reasonable scope for myself, and trying to keep my ideas realistic with the amount of time I had. I’ve had so many other ideas that would’ve been really cool to pursue, and I may still do some of them in the future, but at a certain point you have to rein it in, which was challenging for me. If I do choose to go down these pathways in the future, though, I think Ocean Wise has given me the tools to know how to go about it.
What was your most valuable takeaway?
While there’s been a lot of takeaways from this project, I think the most valuable one is the connections I’ve made along the way. I’m truly grateful to Ocean Wise for the opportunity to meet so many awesome people from such different backgrounds, all brought together by the same love of the ocean. We’ve had a lot of great experiences together and I hope we all keep in touch moving forward.
