Every October, our Ocean Conservation Trust Education team run STEMFest, an exciting two-week event to engage students with hands-on activities focused on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. After the success of last year’s Charles Darwin theme, we were excited to bring it back to the National Marine Aquarium this year!
A total of 18 schools and 915 students from across Devon and Cornwall, joined us the National Marine Aquarium, the home of the Ocean Conservation Trust, for STEMFest! They took part in guided tours, and explored real-world conservation techniques through surveying methods, observing animal behaviour and creating scientific drawings. They also took a deep dive into the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection through an interactive game. Each day ended with a fun-filled interactive show where they were taken on a journey through the history of scientific breakthroughs!
By the end of the jam-packed day, the students had a new appreciation for Evolution, and even knew more about the mechanisms behind natural selection than Darwin himself at the time!
As the Ocean Conservation Trust are dedicated to connecting as many people as possible to the Ocean, we ran a special online event for those who couldn’t make it in person. Virtual STEMFest! For the first time ever we collaborated with the Education Team at the Eden Project to deliver a live-streamed experience that brought together the Ocean and the rainforest! 3,097 students joined us virtually, from schools and home education groups all over the UK, and even as far as the Scottish Highlands!
We showcased examples of animals and plants that have evolved unique adaptations to help them survive in their environments, like the symbiotic relationship between clownfish and their anemone homes! Delivering this with our friends at the Eden Project allowed us the unique opportunity to highlight the vital connections between habitats and species, and the similarities between marine and terrestrial worlds.
If you are reading this now, and missed the opportunity to take part in Virtual STEMFest, then you can dive into the full recording below and take part in the activities!
