A short film made by Young Biologist Geena Williams and her fellow Westerford High School grade 11 learners Matthew Straughan, Savannah Coombe and Joshua Wells recently won first place in the Public Service Awards category of the SA Teen Film Fest. The team also walked away with the award for best Director of Photography (a role performed by Matthew).

The short film, which aims to create awareness around marine pollution, features Two Oceans Aquarium CEO Dr Patrick Garratt. He is interviewed about the sources of marine pollution and he cites mining and agricultural run-off as some of the culprits.

Congratulations to the team for their winning production. It’s great to see this creativity being channeled towards such an important cause! We’re very happy to be associated with this message.

About Young Biologists

The Young Biologist course is one of the free courses offered through our Marine Sciences Academy. It is aimed at grade 10s who are passionate about the marine environment and committed to making a change. Applicants spend four days at the Two Oceans Aquarium covering theory vital for volunteering. The remaining three days of the course are spent at camp outside of Cape Town. Upon the completion of the programme the new YBs are required to commit to at least 30 volunteer hours at the Two Oceans Aquarium, do an environmental clean-up as well as an eco-activity at their respective schools. An official graduation takes place six months after the completion of the course.