Know. Connect. Protect.
Jackson and Dan, owner of 49 Below Ice Cream in their new SeaDoc toques!
Salish Sea stewardship comes in all forms, but the first step to caring for something is learning about it! A few weeks ago, seven classes from a school in Victoria, BC shared with their friends, family, and community what they had learned this fall when their teachers had them answer the question “How can I be a steward of the Salish Sea?” Students were encouraged to research an aspect of the Salish Sea and come up with ways that they could protect it — and they got creative!
How does SeaDoc Society play a role in this? Well, that’s where Jackson comes in! Jackson wanted to focus his research on kelp, and he cited our transboundary studies and blog posts in his project. In fact, we were cited in several of the students’ projects!
“I was researching about the Salish Sea and I found a video from the Sea Doc society about kelp and I really liked it and found it interesting. It was interesting the way the holdfast holds onto rocks and the sea floor and it provides hiding places for little fish and sea otters.”
So how did Jackson use his research to help protect kelp? Ice cream, of course! Jackson is a big fan of a local Victoria ice cream shop called 49 Below. He approached the owner, Dan, with an idea he had to raise money to support the research already being done to make a difference for kelp in the Salish Sea. After some serious meetings and what we can only assume was a lot of testing, they came up with a brand new flavor called Ocean Explosion!
Jackson and Dan scooping the newly invented flavor, Ocean Explosion.
The flier advertising Jackson’s sale to his school.
Jackson making sale to his incredibly supportive teacher, Mrs Zuyderduyn.
“Me and my dad go to 49 Below almost every Thursday, and I wanted to donate to Sea Doc because they were helping the kelp forests with their research, so I asked Dan if we could make an ice-cream flavour. I suggested kelp, but then we realized it would taste fishy, so he suggested we could make the ice cream look like the ocean instead of taste like it!”
This limited-edition flavor was then sold by Jackson at his school. He made fliers to advertise his creation and held his sale outside (in November!) to great demand — he sold out before everyone could even try it! Not only did Jackson get to share what he had learned about kelp, but he also got to share his passion for ice cream and making a difference at the same time!
We were so impressed not only with Jackson’s creative project and generosity but his whole school’s initiative to take Salish Sea Stewardship into their own hands. A special shout out to Dan and 49 Below for their “Philanthropints” program and the hundreds of community members who showed up to support the students and their stewardship projects. We are all in this together!