ODFW
ODFW
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Rogue Riverkeeper
$6,000
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is the only aquarium in Oregon accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which has been maintained since 2001. Our onsite, online and outreach education programs typically reach more than 525,000 people per year. We are one of three wildlife rehabilitation facilities in the Pacific Northwest, and the only one in Oregon authorized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide specialized care to endangered marine life. More than a tourist destination, we play an important role in connecting people with the Pacific Ocean and inspiring them to protect its inhabitants. In January 2020, we relaunched our web-based distance-learning program Oceanscape Network. It was designed to connect preteens, teens and homeschooled students to science, nature and outdoor experiences using technology as the catalyst. More than 75,000 students and teachers explore oceanscape-aquarium.org to investigate the state ‘s native species, submit sightings of wild animals, use GPS for high-tech navigation of nature areas. Oceanscape hosts a plethora of resources including live-stream videos tracking the rehabilitation and release of wildlife, links to topic-related content and blogs (such as climate change), virtual field exploration, grade-specific curriculum, suggested activities and ocean literacy guides for educators. Oceanscape Network features a video news magazine, Oceanscape Explorer, produced and hosted by our youth volunteer correspondents. These downloadable videos tackle conservation topics in greater detail, and aim to increase the engagement of online student and teacher users. The Aquarium seeks to build on Oceanscape ‘s robust and diverse content, add new environmental partners, educate the public about Oregon ‘s ecosystems and opportunities for outdoor exploration, bridge the digital divide in remote communities, and inspire stewardship of the natural world.