http://www.vivavaquita.org/international-save-the-vaquita-day-2019.html
Help us tell the world about the vaquitaand make a last stand against extinction!Washington, DC, USAHong KongLa Paz, MexicoWhat is International Save the Vaquita Day?International Save the Vaquita Day is intended to be an annual event similar to Earth Day, but with a specific focus on raising awareness and appreciation of the world’s most endangered marine mammal, the vaquita (Phocoena sinus). Events around the globe direct the attention of people to the plight of this tiny porpoise species, and what needs to be done to save it from extinction. There are booths, games, music, free prizes, educational brochures, inspirational talks, face painting, and several life-size models of vaquitas on hand to draw attention to and appreciation of the vaquita, Mexico’s “Panda of the Sea”. This year there will be 27 venues, all over the world (see below for details)!
Find out what happened at International Save the Vaquita Day 2018!The primary goal is to make as many people as possible aware of the vaquita and its plight, and spur them to act. The species is nearly extinct, with only <30 individuals left, and declining at about 50% per year! We will have a simple message for folks about what they can do to help. Secondary goals are to gather signatures for our petitions to the Mexican government, and also to raise additional funds for future educational and research work on the vaquita. The event is designed to be fun, as well as educational, and kid-friendly!What is the goal?In 2018, we organized International Save the Vaquita Day (ISTV Day) on Saturday, July 7th. This event featured 34 booths and other venues at sites in southern California, various cities in the US, and all over the world. The venues included 9 aquaria and 12 museums/zoos. There were experts on hand to answer questions, educational demonstrations, seminars, children’s games and events, face-painting, passing out of brochures and coloring books, etc. At one site (Seaport Village in San Diego) there was even live music – the steel drum band Salsa Steel!
The primary goal was to make as many people as possible aware of the vaquita and its plight, and spur them to act. The events were all very peaceful, and respectful of the Mexican fishing culture. It is estimated that over 26,000 people were directly educated about the vaquita at the various events on ISTV Day 2018, with over 250,000 more educated through social media postings. Our website visits in the week after the event reached a record 173,476 visits!What happened last year?How to get involved:2019 Venues(click on blue link for details):USA Venues:
Homer, AK, USA
Tucson, AZ, USA
Pebble Beach, CA, USA
Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA
Newport Beach, California, USA
San Pedro, California, USA
Long Beach, California, USA
San Diego, California, USA
San Diego, California, USA
San Diego (Chula Vista), California, USA
Carlsbad, California, USA
Palm Springs, California, USA
San Francisco, California, USA
Davis, California, USA – This event will be on Fri. 5 July
Santa Cruz, California, USA
Tarpon Springs, Florida, USA
Washington, DC, USA – This event will be on 12 July, 8-10 AM
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Boise, Idaho, USA
Wheaton, Illinois, USA
Newport, Oregon, USA
Newport, Oregon, USA
Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
Outside the USA:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nuremburg, Germany
Ross-shire, Scotland, UK
Photos taken under permit (Oficio No. DR/488/08 from the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturale Protegidas (CONANP/Secretaría del Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), within a natural protected area subject to special management and decreed as such by the Mexican Government. This work was made possible thanks to the collaboration and support of the Coordinador de Investigación y Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos at the Instituto Nacional de Ecología (INE).