FULFILL YOUR DREAMS

                     Programme of events for Erasmus Project Meeting Cornwall April 2022

                                                                  Project Meeting Events

Tsunami workshop

The first workshop was a presentation by a colleague and Erasmus host who had been living and working in Thailand at the time of the Indonesian tsunami. She then worked as a volunteer in the under-sea clean up following the catastrophe.  Students learnt of the environmental, human and economic effects of the event as well as seeing  a number of deep-ocean creatures washed up by the wave. They also heard eye-witness accounts of the Japanese tsunami before hearing about the latest research into "silent tsunamis."

Surf and turf tour of Fowey

Students were taken on a guided tour of Fowey to learn about the various landmarks and how the local china clay is mined and then transported across the globe by water from the docks in Par. They also learnt about the two most famous Fowey characters, the author, Daphne du Maurier and the "Grandfather" of the Cornish language, Arthur Quiller Couch, known as "Q".  Unfortunately the windy conditions meant that the students were not able to participate in gig rowing aboard the town's latest boat and Quiller Couch's namesake, "Q", however the tour then continued on the water by kayak.  Students were taken to see the mussel beds where the processes to ensure the purity and safety of the water were explained. They were also taken to see the processes put in place to ensure effluent does not enter the Fowey River, in preparation for their work with "Surfers against Sewage" in the coming days.

Surfers against Sewage workshop

The following day the students were introduced to the locally-based charity, "Surfers against Sewage". Students learned how sewage effluent damages the local marine environment and the strain put on the local infrastructures due to the large increase in the population in the summer months. They also learnt how SAS raises awareness and campaigns to get local and national government to put into place steps to counteract this. Finally they were also shown how surfers can do their bit to improve the quality of the coastal waters and how to avoid issues raised when the water is not clean. Students also created banners to raise awareness about the need to keep the coast clean to be displayed at the art exhibition later in the week.

SAS beach clean

Immediately after the workshop students were taken to Readymoney Cove where they took part in a beach clean as part of SAS's "Million Mile Clean".  Students were shown how to safely collect refuse and then categorise it for recycling. They also separated the materials which they were to use in their art workshop.

Kurt Jackson workshop

Students were introduced to the works of local artist, Kurt Jackson in order to use the materials they had collected on the beach clean to create Jackson-inspired masterpieces of their own. The work was to be displayed at the Seafarers' Mission Exhibition and sold in order to raise funds for the Gweek Seal Sanctuary.

Gweek Seal Sanctuary workshop

The sanctuary's education team visited the school to give a presentation on their work preserving the local sea-life. They explained the various dangers encountered by seals, sea-lions, dolphins and seabirds with a focus on those hazards which were man-made. Students learnt about how the quality of the water itself could impact on the health of the marine life, bethat flora or fauna.

Surf lesson

Students got the opportunity to experience the Cornish sea from on top of it and within this time with a surfing lesson by the SAS presenter. Alongside their experience they were shown first hand the issues studied earlier in the week in the SAS workshop.

Seafarers'Mission Exhibition and Pot Luck party

Students joined families and local guests for an exhibition of work created by Erasmus guests and FRA students.  The work was judged by Kurt Jackson, himself who   selected winning pieces of art. The Erasmus "SAS" Beach Clean artwork was auctioned later that evening and funds raised for Gweek Seal Sanctuary. The evening ended with a Pot Luck party where all the guests and host families cooked traditional food from their countries and a "Knees-up" was had with international music and dance.

Eden Project workshop

Students took part in a guided tour of the Eden Project with an expert introducing them to world issues concerning water including irrigation, sanitation, water recycling limiting its use in everyday living.

Seal Sanctuary visit

The final day saw the students visit the Gweek Seal Sanctuary for a guided tour and workshop on their work with local marine life. The students were then set the task of selecting two of the sanctuaries residents to adot with the funds raised from the artwork; Ray, a grey seal and Piran, a Humboldt penguin were the lucky duo and we now receive regular updates on the pair.

Falmouth Maritime Museum

The final visit of the meeting took the students to the National Maritime Museum and their Spring exhibition "Monsters of the Deep".  Students were also able to visit the permanent exhibition areas of the museum and many were fascinated by the museum's underwater chamber where they could observe the sea-life in real time as the tide came in around the pier.