Earth Day, Every Day! – Not Your Grandma's Flower Gardens: Coral Reefs of Texas and Louisiana

Gardens in nature can take many forms. Arid climates may have cacti and succulents, while a more temperate climate like our home of Dallas may utilize beautiful flowering or leafy plants. Surprisingly, some of the biggest, most interesting gardens are located below the surface of what we normally see. Coral reefs are full of biodiversity and color, do a lot to benefit our planet, and they don’t even require you to hire a landscaper! Kelly Drinnen of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be telling us of the wonder of coral reefs under the deep blue sea, a special place that inspires us to take conservation action and connects us to these unique flower gardens off the Texas and Louisiana coastlines!

Kelly Drinnen is an Education and Outreach Specialist with NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and has been teaching marine science as an informal educator for over 30 years, including positions in Education at Moody Gardens and SeaWorld of Florida. She is also a certified elementary school teacher in Texas and taught 4th grade for two years in South Houston. Her work with the sanctuary includes community events, presentations, conferences, teacher workshops, lesson development, social media, and the sanctuary's web site, as well as collaborations with zoos and aquariums. She is also a certified SCUBA diver and has occasionally assisted with offshore research and monitoring activities. Kelly has a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, with a minor in Mathematics, from James Madison University in Virginia.

Earth Day Every Day is a series of online environmental education sessions continuing with the Earth Day theme and bringing expert speakers, special program topics, and a reminder that every day is Earth Day. Presented by Dallas Environmental Quality and Sustainability (DEQS; Green Dallas). These topics empower Dallas residents to make sustainable choices that improve the quality of life for everyone in Dallas and the world.

This program is available online only, through Zoom. Registration is required. Zoom information will be e-mailed the day of the program. E-mails may go to your spam folder.