The WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium has a unique vehicle. If you have yet to see it driving around Northern Kentucky, you probably will soon.
You can’t miss the bright blue Mercedes Sprinter van with images of sharks and gators on its sides. Inside the WAVE Foundation’s vehicle is the Shark Cart, a traveling aquarium built to exhibit and transport epaulette sharks, the only technology of its kind in North America.
The WAVE Foundation is the only environmental organization in the country with a traveling aquarium.
Because of the Shark Cart’s uniqueness, the WAVE Foundation was recently invited to Washington D.C. to attend the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill. Congress recently passed a bill to protect marine environments from micro-beads, the tiny beads in face washes and other abrasive cleaners. These beads have negative impacts on marine environments and marine animals
“The trip to D.C. was an amazing experience, said Scott Wingate. “We were able to thank our Congressmen for passing legislation that benefits our aquatic world and inspires decision makers with our live animals to move more legislation to protect our marine environments.
The trip was made possible with a generous donation from the Elsa Sule Foundation.
This donation allowed WAVE Foundation to purchase their vehicle and the Shark Cart. Which lead to the expansion of the education outreach program called WAVE on Wheels.
“This donation changed our foundation’s ability to impact our community forever,” said Executive Director of the WAVE Foundation, Scott Wingate. “WAVE on Wheels allows the WAVE Foundation to extend Newport Aquarium’s footprint and impact through education outreach programs. Students and community members who could not visit the Aquarium now have the opportunity to be inspired by its wildlife at their schools, community events, senior centers and daycares.”
“Our goal is to deepen public participation in science and conservation by igniting student’s natural curiosity through problem based learning scenarios using live animals. The shark cart and WAVE on Wheels vehicle makes this possible,” said Wingate.
The WAVE Foundation has also leveraged this technology with other local environmental education organizations in the Northern Kentucky community. One of their key strategic partners is SD1, the local sanitation district.
Their partnership has blended WAVE’s marine conservation action steps with their local conservation behaviors to demonstrate to students how all of our waterways are connected and the impact of our behaviors in Kentucky can have on our oceans.
WAVE Foundation