On February 19 the world celebrated the 29th Marine Mammals Day or World Whale Day, as it is also called. The Commander Islands Reserve prepared the celebration thoroughly and in advance. We organized events in Kaliningrad, Moscow and in Nikolskoye village on Bering Island.
Our country has 11 clock zones and though the reserve is situated in Kamchatka clock zone, our team organizes nature protection events in different parts of Russia. This year we celebrated World Whale Day in two cities of the Western part of our country at the same time – in Moscow and in Kaliningrad. The celebration started in the West and proceeded to the East. Our first event was a photo show called Tamers of the Deep: Marine Mammals of the Commander Islands Reserve, which was opened on February 17 in Kaliningrad in the Museum of the World Ocean.
Photo show opening in the Museum of the World Ocean in Kaliningrad. Photo by the Commander Islands Reserve
Moreover, the team of the Commander Islands Reserve prepared a number of workshops for all the young guests, which are also popular among adults. Besides the traditional workshops, some new one were introduced, for example felt toys became a real hit. Even the journalists, who came to cover the photo show opening, couldn’t but play with them after the work was done!
Felt toys became a sensation. The Museum of the World Ocean in Kaliningrad. Photo by the Commander Islands reserve
Anna Strokan, Main Specialist of Environmental Education Department, said, that The Museum of the World Ocean is one of the best hosts ever for our reserve to cooperate with.
“The Commander Islands Nature and Biosphere Reserve has a vast experience in organizing events in different part of Russia. And we are very lucky, as we meet so many enthusiastic people, who are ready to help and to work as a team. But even among them, the Museum of the World Ocean is a special partner. This place is very popular and the employees are very friendly. It was a pleasure for us to work in such atmosphere! We hope, some day we will return to the museum with some other event,” said Anna Strokan.
Children had a chance to give a stroke to the sea otter – the fluffiest animal in the world! Darwin Museum in Moscow. Photo by the Commander Islands reserve
The second city to celebrate Marine Mammals Day was Moscow. There the Commander Islands Nature and Biosphere Reserve presented an educational progremme in two venues: the State Darwin Museum and the Zoological Museum of M.V. Lomonosov State University. Both events were held on February 19 and were very popular.
Alexander Shiyenok presents a lecture in Darwin Museum in Moscow. Photo by the Commander Islands reserve
In Darwin Museum the team of the Commander Islands Reserve held a number of workshops for children and a lecture called The Marine Mammals of the Commander Islands Reserve, presented by Alevander Shiyenok, Ph.D. (Biology), researcher of Moscow State University and the Commander Islands Reserve. Children made a beaded whale, colored toys depicting the cetaceans in the Commander Islands waters and discovered a lot about our marine mammals.
“The first we worked with the State Darwin Museum was last year, when we organized a meeting of the Friends of the Reserve. This year we chose this one of the best Moscow venues to present our educational programme. We are happy to work with the State Darwin Museum!” said Anna Strokan.
In the Zoological Museum of M.V. Lomonosov State University. Photo by the Commander Islands reserve
In the Zoological Museum of M.V. Lomonosov State University it was Svetlana Artemieva, one of the employees of the museum, to represent the Commander Islands Reserve. Children solved a huge jigsaw puzzle and made toy marine mammals. They also had a chance to visit a lecture about the animals of the Commander Islands.
In the nearest future the Commander Islands Nature and Biosphere Reserve is planning to organize a number of events together with K. Timiryazev State Biological Museum, the Zoological Museum of M.V. Lomonosov State University and the State Russian Children’s Library. Follow us in social networks!
About Marine Mammals Day:
Marine Mammals Day was created on February 19, 1986, when the ban on commercial whaling was introduced by the International Whaling Commission for every country-participant in the world everywhere on our planet. But pay attention, that some of the indigenous people, who had been traditionally whaling for hundreds of years, still have the right to kill whales, but whaling is very restricted and taken under control. In Russia only the indigenous communities of Chukotka have this right, as it is sometimes the only way to survive in the harsh conditions of the Chukot Peninsula. Today we see, that for nearly 300 years all the members of the Commission comply with the prohibition with some exceptions.
