Join the New England Aquarium on Friday Sept 18th at 6PM US ET for Sustaining Our AdvocaSea in a Digital World. This virtual event will feature a screening of the film Anna and the Thresher Shark followed by a live discussion. This film focuses on the efforts of Anna Oposa to strengthen the Philippines’ first shark sanctuary which she was instrumental in establishing in 2015. Anna is the Co-Founder, Executive Director and Chief Mermaid of Save Philippine Seas, an NGO that works to conserve sharks, empower Filipino “seatizens” and reduce single-use plastics nationwide by writing policies, using social media, and implementing community-based programs. Anna is a Marine Conservation Action Fund (MCAF) Fellow at the New England Aquarium.

The film screening will be followed by a live discussion with Anna Oposa and Natalie Perez, Community Engagement Supervisor at NEAQ. The focus of the conversation will be on the importance of community engagement in conservation work and how to pivot community-based work to a more digital realm in the time of COVID. More details and a registration link can be found here: Eventbrite Registration - Sustaining Our AdvocaSea

Agenda

6:00 PM (US ET): Via Zoom: Welcome and Introductory Remarks - New England Aquarium President and CEO, Vikki Spruill

6:05 PM: Screening of "Anna and the Thresher Shark" documentary (52 mins) Vimeo link to the film will be provided to registrants via Zoom chat.

7:00 PM: Live discussion with Anna Oposa and Natalie Perez, NEAq Community Engagement Supervisor

7:20 PM: Q and A with audience

We are hosting this event in partnership with the Boston City Awake Fierce Urgency of Now (F.U.N.) Festival which is a decentralized five-day festival with 30+ events hosted by organizations and businesses across Greater Boston. The events and conversations throughout the festival highlight the experiences, challenges, and opportunities for young professionals of color in Boston.

This program is made possible due to the generous support of the Lowell Institute. Founded in 1836 with a mission to inform the populace regardless of gender, race, or economic status, the Lowell Institute has reached thousands of Boston-area residents by sponsoring free public lectures and other educational programs.

Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Elizabeth Stephenson

Director, Marine Conservation Action Fund (MCAF)

New England Aquarium

estephenson@neaq.org