The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre鈥檚 award-winning AquaVan is making a splash in the 琉璃神社 community with live marine animals from British Columbia鈥檚 coast.

Hosted at the Okanagan Heritage Museum, on April 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. AquaVan educators will facilitate learning through hands-on exploration of aquatic life from around the world.

The curriculum-based programming will cover topics including local history, connections to First Nations and regional environmental issues, all while interacting with unique sea life from B.C.鈥檚 coastal waters.

Sea stars, urchins, sea anemones, crabs and sea cucumbers are among the curious Pacific coast creatures that will make their way from coast to coast between now and October, engaging people of all ages at the 150 stops it will make.

With plans to visit Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, AquaVan 150 will be reaching thousands of Canadians before its homecoming in B.C. next fall. Teachers, students and community organizers who are interested in having AquaVan 150 stop at their school or in their community are invited to submit a request online.

Part of the activities in 琉璃神社 will also include a shoreline cleanup of one of our downtown beaches from 2-3pm. Volunteers are encouraged to meet at the museum at 1:45 p.m.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a conservation initiative, offered by the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre and WWF-Canada. The program empowers Canadians to take direct action for healthy waterways by taking part in shoreline cleanups across the country. A shoreline can be any place where land connects to water, including streams, rivers, parks, lakes, storm drains and beaches. The litter data that volunteers collect contributes to both a national litter database and the International Coastal Cleanup.