Friday, August 10, 2012

Mobile Fish Exhibit


Hi Sea Fans!

I’m back! : )  I’ve been chatting to so many people here in the US and am loving the hospitality.  After the California Science Centre, I got to visit James Frank and his Mobile Fish Exhibit at the East Bay Regional Park District in Oakland, California.  He even let me drive it!!



Fish Guy Joshua and Ranger James gave me a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium lab, where all the fish that go into the exhibit spend most of their time.  

Every couple of weeks, these fish get to travel to a new school or festival to teach people about the importance of keeping our waterways clean and healthy.  I got involved by showing the kids how to do scientific drawings of the fish.  

Scientists use these kinds of drawings to document behavior patterns and other observations, so it’s a great skill to learn. 
  
We also had a bit of a laugh by making drawings of Ranger James and Fish Guy Joshua! 
James does some great work and part of what he does is to teach kids about why it is important not to set pets free in the wild.  When people let their pet goldfish go free in a pond or lake, they use resources (food etc) that the native fish (the local fish that are meant to be there) and other aquatic animals need to survive. 


Thanks for having me James, I hope you had as much fun as I did! : )

Next time you're in Oakland, Sea Fans, keep an eye out for the Mobile Aquarium and say hi to Ranger James!!

Cheers
Abby
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