"WHOOPIE" FOR SHARKS!!!!!!

I will happily and enthusiastically talk to anyone about sharks and I am sure those that know me can attest to this. I especially love talking to kids about sharks and today I did just that at two different schools. My first visit was to Central School in South Berwick, Maine; a school that I attended as a 5th grader. A little surreal to step foot into that miniature world again as an adult.

I talked to 6 second grade classes broken into 3 groups. I prefer smaller groups because it makes interaction between me and the kids a lot easier. It also means I can usually get to everyone’s questions. I am not one to talk at students, but want to hear what they think and engage them in conversations. I probably ask them almost as many questions as they ask me. I want them to know that what they have to say is important and that they can make a difference. I cannot stand there in front of them and tell them that they can help sharks and then not offer them the chance to speak up.

I have an outline for the presentation, but let each group guide the flow. Each group of students is unique with a dynamic range of stories and questions. If they want to talk about shark ears for a while then we can talk about shark ears for a while. They do get a giggle when the image of a lemon shark with human ears pops onto the screen. I love that laughter.

Once again I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of knowledge these kids have about sharks and the problems they are facing. They have more passion than they can even realize at this stage in the life, but it is raw, powerful and infectious. The smiles on their faces and the hugs after the talk are worth more than all the money in the world. Yes, I am getting a little choked up at the moment.
One little girl had her desk lined with stuffed sharks. AWESOME! I met each shark and then she got to meet Lucky.

In the last class I visited a few of the kids came up and asked for my autograph and if I could draw a shark for them. OH MY GOD!! This made my heart melt. They were so sincere and I quickly began scribbling the cartoon shark I always draw onto pieces of paper with giant Crayola markers and crayons! I don’t feel worthy of signing autographs, but I can hope that those pieces of paper stand as a reminder for those kids that they can helps sharks and they can help our oceans.

Great thank you cards!!!


Kids are like amazing sponges at that age and it is important to provide them with positive images and facts about the ocean world. There are so many negative things about sharks that define most encounters they will have; I want to give them tools to questions those, “ myths.” and dare to speak up. They are all junior scientists that can ask questions just like real scientists. This is an important job and I know most of the them will take it very seriously.

I traveled to the next school to speak to the first graders at Berwick Academy. They gathered on the floor around me and I found myself sitting down next them. We chatted about sharks, talked about the oceans and they got to pass around some sharks tags and even Lucky and Monty got some love.

After four 45 minute presentations I am exhausted, but my heart is happy. I gain even more respect for teachers every time I visit a school. Teachers do this everyday without the recognition they deserve and I want to thank Erin Darling at Central and Susan Morris at Berwick Academy for being integral in facilitating my visit to the schools. I am looking forward to many more. Also, thank you Erin for the whoopie pies. You obviously know the way to a Maine girl’s heart! Thank you Kelsey Boston and Dylan for getting the ball rolling on my visit to Central.

Thanks to Maine kids for caring about Sharks! I look forward to the next time I visit!

Kids Ask, "Why Do People Kill So Many Sharks?"

FINS UP!


Today I talked to 6th graders at Berwick Academy about sharks and why they need our help. We started to talk about finning and one girl raised her hand. “ Why do people kill so many sharks?” This is an excellent question. The answer changes dynamically depending on where in the world you are, but money, greed and fear are my top answers. Yes, people kill sharks to eat them, but for the most part shark populations are being decimated because of money and greed. A single whale shark fin can sell for $15,000 US. It provides no nutritional value, is environmentally detrimental and really serves no purpose at all. The fishermen that spend months at sea in terrible conditions do not see those millions. A limited few reap the, “benefits,” of the shark slaughter. It boggles my mind that the money and power of so few can impact so many.

I always remind the kids that they have a voice. It is hard to think at the age of 11 or 12 that you can say or do a lot that will have an impact, but it does. Kids have a connection to the world and access to the tools to save it. They can influence their parents purchasing power, educate other adults around them and then in turn make their own choices as they grow up.

If I try to convince a 40 year old fisherman that slaughtering a shark just for its jaws is wrong, I might get a hostile response decorated with some colorful expressions. If his son or daughter asks him why he does it or asks him to stop, then he might actually think about the situation. Kids are powerful and their voices are heard.
This group is lucky because their science teacher, my mom, will discuss sharks throughout the year. She will be able to share her own experiences because she has been to Australia to tag tiger sharks. How awesome is that? My mom’s passion for the ocean is infectious and I wish that more kids could have a teacher like her!
I wish I could visit classrooms every week because it is a constant reminder of hope and inspiration.

Thanks to Berwick Academy for opening up your classrooms and making a difference. Thanks to my mom, Mrs. Morris, for being an amazing role model and shark lover!

HAMMERTIME

Shark Cherubs

The Shark Angels are everywhere and are doing amazing things. Sharks need all the help they can get and angels are reaching out across the globe to make a difference. On Monday November 28, 2011 I was fortunate enough to enlist 50 new “ Shark Cherubs,” at Berwick Academy. The students took a pledge that includes:
Getting Shark Smart-learning as much as they can
Not eating shark fin soup or eating at restaurants that serve it
Be a positive voice for sharks
Standing up for sharks
They kids were really excited knowing that they ARE making a difference and becoming a part of something that matters.
Thanks to Shark Angels, Berwick Academy and Susan Morris







Shark Angels

Shark Conservation Education and Outreach is Wicked Good in Maine

I was very fortunate to grow up around the water and with parents that cared about the environment. My mom never let me have the cool snack packages, but rather she got things in bulk and put them in Tupperware. I was a bit annoyed at the time because my friends all had the cool snacks, but it instilled the lesson of what we as individuals can do to help our environment.
Today my mom has continued her journey as an environmentalist teaching 6th graders about sharks and shark conservation. She has shared a real life research project that students can study from and has even spent 2 weeks tagging sharks in Australia. This is her own initiative that she has taken above and beyond the standard curriculum.






She always asks if I can speak to her class about sharks and shark conservation. I do not get home often, but when I do I always try to get in. The 6th graders are one of my favorite ages to speak to because they have a base understanding of environmental factors and can critically think about the issues. Many of them are aware of shark finning and I am always pleasantly surprised with the insight they share.



Some people may thinking that showing 11 and 12 year olds an image of dead sharks, bleeding and without their fins is too much, but I think it can be done effectively. Many of these kids have seen Jaws and other “R” rated movies, so they are not shocked. Many, however, cannot believe that this is happening and it catalyzes an instant empathy for the animals. They want to know why people do it and how to stop it. This is the energy and enthusiasm that it will take to make changes in the world.




Duncan and I shared images and video of shark tagging, shark diving and even the birth of baby lemon sharks. We also discussed what each of them could do to help the environment. Because they are young, they often feel that there is nothing they can do, but we strive to express that there is so much.



The last class we spoke to had one student that really hit home with me about why I do this. When we were talking about shark fin soup he raised his hand and said that his dad had eaten it a few times and mentioned that it was expensive. In a class full of kids that are ready to attack anyone hurting a shark, this was a bold admittance. It was also the ideal opportunity to reach out to this student and his dad. When we moved on to discuss diving with shark I suggested that he talk to his dad about getting in the water with sharks instead of eating them. He smiled and shook his head in agreement.

I am sure he went home and shared the idea with his dad also explaining that shark fin soup is toxic and destroying our oceans. Now either his dad told him that I don’t know what I am talking about or he actually listened. I am hoping that the second scenario played out and that it fosters a sense of change in his dad. As children we look up to our parents and no matter what we do not seem to question their actions. They are often our heroes and can do no wrong. His father has a chance to be an ocean hero for his son and for the environment.

It is these students and the students that have parents that sport fish for sharks that make speaking in classrooms worth it. Most students may already care about the ocean and already have parents that are involved in conservation or at least not killing or eating sharks. It is the parents that are participating in unsavory activities that are the goal. They are the people I want to reach and going through their son or daughter carries tremendous strength. I remember coming home from school when I was 7 or 8 and seeing a deer hanging in a tree at the house. I am from Maine and deer hunting is very popular, so this was not I new sight for me. This was however, the first time I had seen it at my house. I asked my dad why he killed the deer? My dad still talks about it to this day and describes the look of confusion and sadness on my face. He has not hunted since. Children hold a tremendous weight and they are a crucial element in the push to save our oceans.

I look forward to the next opportunity to be in the classroom and reach even just one student who will make a change.
Thank you to Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine for allowing your students the opportunity to experience real life conservation in action and to be apart of it. Thank you to my mom, Susan Morris for always being an environmentalist and making a difference.

For more information on shark conservation presentations please feel free to contact ME