On January 28th, Tucker River Fellows went to the
new Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute for the Freshwater Summit. We
heard from many keynote speakers on different areas of conservation and
participated in a few activities, such as making a plan for our own institute
to solve a problem in our community.
Here is a summarization of the Keynote
Panel topics:
First we heard from
Anna George on how to help protect life in Tennessee streams. She discussed how
the Southeast has the most biodiversity, but these freshwater ecosystems are
being threatened. She suggested a four-step plan on how to help, saying, “1.
Discover your connection, 2. Reduce your impact, 3. Offer to help, and 4. Play
and enjoy!” Next we heard from the panel, including Sara McIntyer on buffers
and the effects of agriculture, Matt Whitaker on sustainable landscape design,
and Dr. Kristen Cecala on global climate change.
We also listened to many
speakers discuss fundraising workshops, leadership advise, and how to spread
the word through social media.
Some of the hands-on
activities we experienced include the Icebreaker, in which we drew plans for
our own conservation institute, had skill building workshops, and held small
group presentations. We also had guided tours in which we viewed the many rooms
of the institute, including the
specimen lab shown below:
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