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World Oceans Day 2009 - A Success!
World Oceans Day 2009 was the biggest celebration ever of our world's ocean! Over 230 organizations and institutions organized events worldwide, with more than 70 in the US alone, including the public aquariums and national NGOs. From a Presidential proclamation and lighting of the Empire State building in blue, to thousands of volunteers participating in beach clean-ups, many people celebrated the ocean and participated in ocean stewardship.
What started as an idea has now grown into an officially designated day, recognized by the United Nations and celebrated by countless individuals all around the world. This day, June 8th, and its message of ocean education and conservation will continue to grow in popularity as word spreads on the importance of our oceans to all of us, no matter where we live.
The Ocean Project would like to thank everybody who participated in World Oceans Day 2009 and we hope you will continue your commitment to celebrating World Oceans Day in the future — it is not too early to start planning for June 8, 2010. Let us know your ideas!
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World Oceans Day Event Highlights
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| First graders and their parents collected beach trash for this 25 feet long whale. With the help of teacher Arlene Gnade and artist Teresa Espaniola they created this amazing collage for World Oceans Day and beyond. Check out their blog and this video for more information about the project.
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 |  | | The Atlantaquaria in Galway, Ireland organized a great family day of fun and activities. |
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To celebrate World Oceans Day Artist Carlos Hiller painted a mural of a whale and her calf in Costa Rica. More than 100 school kids participated in the project raising public awareness of these great whales.
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| WholeFoods Market's Sustainable Seafood Event with cooking demos and take-home conservation action advice |
 | |  | | June 8th, 2009 The Empire State Building in New York City was lit up in blue for World Oceans Day | | The Miami Lakes Educational Center created a wonderful World Oceans Day display in their Media Center |
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In 2008 Hawaii became the first state to officially recognize and celebrate World Oceans Day, and it all started with the efforts of a handful of Cadettes in Honolulu's Girl Scout Troop 401.
At the suggestion of a well-known Hawaiian ocean paddler, Donna Kahakui, three Cadettes from Troop 401 -- Chanel Gemini, Nika Kashyap, and Sabina Van Tilburg -- decided to try to get the state to officially recognize World Oceans Day. Using the petition and letter templates on The Ocean Project website, the girls collected signatures from the public for several months and reached out to state Representative Lyla Berg and Senator Clarence Nishihara. Representative Berg and Senator Nishihara introduced a resolution to the Hawaii State House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively, to officially recognize and celebrate World Oceans Day. Thanks to support from the Committee on Water and Land, chaired by Senator Hee, the 2008 Hawaii Legislature passed the Resolution recognizing World Oceans Day for the calendar year.
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Nika and Sabina get signatures of support on the World Oceans Day petition at a Holiday Fair.
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Girl Scout Cadettes Sabina, Chanel, and Nika with Hawaii Senator Clayton Hee after the hearing on March 24, 2008.
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