As part of the Ocean Days, the event Oceans 21 has organized in the heart of the Raoul Mille library, activities with members of the association Les Petits Débrouillards. The goal is to inform about the marine world and its vulnerabilities.
Fancy a splash? This Wednesday, children didn’t just dip their toes—they dove right into the deep end at the Raoul Mille library. A youth workshop titled “Ocean and Plastics” was scheduled as part of the Ocean Days. The agenda: discovering the riches of the ocean, its beauty, but also its fragility. This is why it needs to be preserved.
“Are we all eco-responsible?”
At the beginning of the workshop, Manal Reffay, a facilitator from the association Les Petits Débrouillards, set the tone: “Are we all eco-responsible?”
To help them engage with ecology, along with her teammate Valentin Blasco, they brought a board game: “My Patch of Sea”. It is designed to show children the interactions between marine ecosystems and human activities.
Voluntarily, the children get involved. This game is collective, as the ecosystems interact with one another. “We win together, we lose together,” explains Valentin. Same challenge for the environment. “It is something that must be done in cooperation,” he adds.
Ocean Days and Youth
While Manal regrets a “lack of awareness at home or at school,” she has hope in the youth: “we show them the approach, we hope they will make a difference.”
Making a difference from a young age is what Arthur, just 8 years old, is undertaking. He multiplies actions for the planet: “I sort, we have a composter, I don’t litter.” Next to him, his grandmother, Marie Gandoin, is just as involved in this ocean workshop: “We sail, so it’s normal to be informed.” Moreover, she regrets not being made aware of the environmental cause earlier: “It wasn’t done before, but it’s important to help our planet.”
The activities of the Ocean Days will run until July 10th. Find the program here.