World Oceans Day 2011

Today, June 8th, is World Oceans Day, a sister day to Earth day and a wonderful day to teach our kids about these beautiful bodies of water, and how important they are to our environment.

The concept of World Oceans Day was proposed on June 8th 1992 by Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then as World Ocean Day. It was officially recognized by the United Nations as June 8th each year, beginning in 2009.

World Ocean Day is an opportunity every year to honor the world's Oceans, as well as marine life itself. It is also a time to appreciate the intrinsic value of our oceans, and to imagine what sort of world, future generations would live in, if we failed to secure the health of the World's Oceans in ours. That is why it is so important to celebrate this day with our kids and create awareness on the subject, so that our oceans can be properly maintained for children and grandchildren, because after all, we can’t live without water!

The World Oceans Day 2011 theme is ‘Youth: the Next Wave for Change’, and as parents, it is our obligation to educate our children in order for them to have the knowledge and power to create this next wave of change for the world.

Looking for a great way to celebrate World Oceans Day with your kids? Check out the Canadian Wildlife Federation’s website here for a great list of fun and educational events in Montreal and around Canada.

So remember, keep our oceans clean, and don’t trash where you splash!