October 27, 2008

Dominican Republic Students Get To Know Their Marine Resources

In September,The Hotel Association of La Romana Bayahibe, in coordination with Reef Check Foundation Dominican Republic, conducted a camp for kids called “Empapémonos y Sumerjámonos (Let’s get Soaked and Submerged)”, in Bayahibe. Fifteen children from the communities of Bayahibe and Padre Nuestro attended the camp and learned about the fascinating marine world in a very fun way.
 
The camp took place over two days filled with activities designed to bring the ocean to the feet of the boys and girls. The children learned about the ocean, its fundamental importance to their community and the planet Earth, and the interesting creatures that inhabit its coasts and depths, as well as the greatest threats to its health and actions they can take to ensure all of us have a better future by taking care of our natural resources. All this was accomplished through talks, videos, experiments, and hands on experiences with nature herself.
 
The kids increased their ecological awareness through incredible experiences that they will never forget. At the end of the camp, the kids created a mural on the school wall illustrating their newly acquired knowledge, which will serve to raise awareness among fellow classmates.
 
This camp was made possible thanks to the support of the following institutions: Hotel Association La Romana-Bayahibe (Asociación de Hoteles La Romana-Bayahibe), La Romana: Distinctively Dominican, United States Peace Corps, Lila Shop, Santo Domingo National Aquarium (Acuario Nacional de Santo Domingo), Dominican Foundation Pro-Investigation and Conservation of Marine Resources (Fundación Dominicana Pro-Investigación y Conservación de los Recursos Marinos – MAMMA), Friends of Bayahibe’s Dolphins Foundation (Fundación Amigos de los Delfines de Bayahibe), and Hotel Oasis Canoa. In addition, we would like to thank all the volunteers who donated their time to ensure the camp’s success!

For more pictures from camp, visit http://forum.reefcheck.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=17527

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