The film complements
and provides context for guests who visit the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center
The
mission of the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center is to inspire
conservation of the marine environment, and one way they do that is by
connecting people to the animals that live in ocean ecosystems, both in local
waters and in marine habitats around the world.
Virginia Aquarium has robust
programming efforts directed at showcasing the sea turtles that visit the coastal
waters and nest along Virginia’s beaches. But the Aquarium cannot bring guests
into the open ocean to see the challenges of daily life for a sea turtle, and that
is where Turtle Odyssey 3D comes in. Turtle
Odyssey 3D allows guests to experience the harrowing life of a sea turtle
first-hand, traveling thousands of kilometers and encountering some of the
strange and charismatic animals from all around the Great Barrier Reef along
the way
The film complements
and provides the context for guests who visit the Virginia Aquarium’s Light
Tower Exhibit, which features three species of sea turtles. At the Light Tower
Exhibit, Aquarium staff conduct floor programs, engagement carts showcase sea
turtle biofacts, and displays strengthen the connection between guests and
animals. The Aquarium team helps to bring the sea turtles off the screen and
out of the water, right into the guests’ hands. “Our
intent was to educate visitors on the life cycle of the sea turtle through
multiple learning styles—from tactile with use of artifacts at our curiosity
carts, to visual, including use of the film,” says Matthew Klepseiz, Public
Relations Manager at the Virginia Aquarium.
The Aquarium's programs dovetailed perfectly
with materials created by SK Films, allowing teachers and students even more
avenues for building their sea turtle course study
Working
with such an engaging topic meant options weren’t limited to the four walls of
the Aquarium. School programming—which includes outreach, on-site, and suitcase
science programs—features topics on sea turtle life cycles, sea turtle rescue,
and special sea turtle teacher training. The training is offered to teachers during
the summer so they can get more background knowledge, go behind the scenes at
the exhibit and Stranding Response Center, and receive lesson plans about sea
turtle science. These programs dovetailed perfectly
with materials created by SK Films, allowing teachers and students even more
avenues for building their sea turtle course study.”
The Aquarium’s programs are
primarily run through the Education section near the targeted exhibit the
Animal Care section maintains. They promote it through their Marketing and PR
section and the Guest Services sections prior to visit and when a guest is
onsite. They market the film and the educational programming together and
separately, depending on the situation and target audience. When a school group
chooses one of the sea turtle-focused programs, the Aquarium offers the film as
a counterpart to the in-classroom and hands-on work they will do.
“Virginia
Aquarium recognizes the importance of connecting its mission, exhibits, and
films, and Turtle Odyssey 3D was no
exception,” says Klepseiz. “This film and accompanying
programming have been very well-received by our guests, and we love hearing
their feedback about the incredible animals and journey that the film
documented so beautifully. Thanks to the depth and variety of materials
provided by SK Films and their responsiveness to any requests, we were able to
match the material so perfectly with our offerings that it allowed us to bring
one more outlet to our guests to underscore the importance of these animals and
our need to protect them.”
Questions
about the program should be directed to Marketing@virginiaaquarium.com