OCEAN: SVI
Ocean Conservation Education & Action Network: South Vancouver Island
The Ocean Conservation Education & Action Network: South Vancouver Island (OCEAN: SVI for short) is a collaboration of several non-profit organizations working to increase accessibility to marine education and enhance ocean literacy throughout Greater Victoria. All partner organizations have a vision of improving the world through environmental sustainability, education, public awareness, and community engagement.
Together, OCEAN: SVI builds synergy between place-based ocean education initiatives within the Salish Sea to deliver hands-on and experiential marine education throughout the Capital Region. The collective is working to deliver coordinated ocean education to the community, enhance support for environmental conservation, and improve exposure to the rich biodiversity of the Salish Sea. Through increased teacher engagement, we hope to further our outreach efforts in the community and create memorable learning experiences for youth to foster environmental stewardship in future generations.
Each of our partner organizations offer a variety of place-based, ocean-centric, environmental education programming and resources – available in classrooms and in-person at various locations across Greater Victoria.
PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Visit the Centre website for information on school programs and learning experiences
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For group bookings and to inquire about school programs, please email
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
BC’s not-for-profit aquarium and learning centre
The Centre connects the public with the Salish Sea Bioregion and its ecosystems through engagement, knowledge and awareness. This one-of-a-kind aquarium and learning centre offers an interactive, informative and hands-on experience with the Salish Sea through self-guided visits, daily programs, group and school bookings, special events and lectures. ​
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(250) 665-7511
Seaquaria
Ocean Education
A division of World Fisheries Trust
Seaquaria Ocean Education is committed to fostering informed stewards to sustainably manage our aquatic resources through building a foundation of environmental knowledge in students and community members using experiential hands-on learning.
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(778) 430-7585
Visit the Seaquaria website for information on the classroom and beach programs they offer
seaquaria.org/what-we-offer/programs/
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For teaching and learning resources, visit:
Visit the SeaChange website to learn more about their passion for conservation
https://seachangesociety.com/our-story/
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For information on what they do and their current restoration projects, visit:
SeaChange Marine Conservation Society
Connecting Ecosystems, Cultures and Communities
SeaChange works in partnership with coastal communities to use scientific rigor and sound methods to: survey, map, and assess the condition of nearshore coastal ecosystems in an open sourced database; conserve, restore, and protect ecosystems into the future; measure the success and impact of their restoration efforts; and foster community engagement and partnerships through education, knowledge and data sharing, and place-based experiences.
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Gorge Waterway Action Society
and the Gorge Waterway Nature House
GWAS' mission is to preserve and enhance the Gorge Waterway through environmental education, restoration, conservation, stewardship, and community involvement. Their dedicated team of staff and volunteers work together to deliver place-based, nature-focused education programs at the Gorge Waterway Nature House and throughout the various ecosystems of Esquimalt Gorge Park.
(778) 265-5119
Visit the Nature House webpage for details on the programs we offer throughout the year
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For some at home educational resources, visit:
Visit the NAME webpage from more information and details on conferences and grant funding
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Become a member!
Membership is comprised teachers, informal science educators, environmental educators, and students
Northwest Aquatic & Marine Educators Association
NAME - BC Chapter
NAME brings together formal and informal educators from four regions of the Pacific Northwest: Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon to fulfill the vision of a world where communities respect, experience and share the wonders of healthy freshwater and ocean ecosystems, and work for their sustainability.
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NAME's mission is to connect, engage and support people of all ages and backgrounds to learn and teach about freshwater and ocean ecosystems. NAME advocates for ocean literacy, using the allure of water to enrich and facilitate learning. Through an in-person summer conference, mini grants, local networking events, and a virtual speakers series, it provides a lively space for sharing knowledge and experiences with others to create a community of informed stewards. ​
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WestWind Sea Labs
Connecting people to critters
WestWind's marine supply work provides the infrastructure to support community education experiences for people of all ages and abilities. In 1998, it founded the Seaquaria in Schools Program to help reach a wider student audience in BC; and through its active involvement with NAME, has expanded its reach to include other community outreach programs throughout the Pacific NW and other parts of Canada.
More recently, WestWind’s partnerships with NAME and Seaquaria Ocean Education have expanded to embrace other members of the OCEAN SVI network. Its contribution to network events is to facilitate hands-on experiences with touch tanks filled with live marine organisms and algae, and to witness the amazing connection brought into the lives of participants.
(250) 386-8036
WestWind, based in Victoria BC, is Canada’s longest-lived supplier of living marine organisms for teaching and research. It supports hands-on experiences with marine life at post-secondary institutions across Turtle Island (North America) and beyond.
WestWind believes in the respectful, sustainable use of these ocean ambassadors to foster knowledge, empathy and conservation, and has created classroom and pop-up aquarium systems to use in partnership with local non-profits, schools, and other community organizations.
Visit the Peninsula Stream Society website to learn more about their work being done
www.peninsulastreams.ca/our-work/
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For more information on their Environmental Education Programs, visit:
Peninsula Streams
& Shorelines
From Headwaters to Deep Waters
PSS' main goal is to achieve healthy aquatic habitat that supports self-sustaining populations of native species in both freshwater and marine environments. They offer environmental education programs in local schools, delivered by staff and volunteers. These educational programs include fun and engaging indoor and outdoor activities to raise awareness of the various natural habitats around Greater Victoria.
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