16 April 2020
St Helena’s first marine themed free online game – ‘Secrets of St Helena’ – has recently launched.
‘Secrets of St Helena’ was developed collaboratively by the Saint Helena National Trust (SHNT) Marine Team, Blue Marine Foundation and Planeteri.
This interactive, educational output was part of a much wider collaborative Plastics Project: ‘Sustainably managing plastic waste on St Helena to reduce marine debris’ that was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Island-wide Project involved St Helena Government’s Marine Section, Waste Management Services, SHAPE (St Helena Active Participation in Enterprise) and the SHNT.
Young gamers will no doubt notice that the game also links to the free, interactive Makerzines that were presented to St Helena’s Primary School pupils last year.
SHNT’s Head of Marine Conservation, Beth Taylor, commented:
“Given the focus of the DEFRA Plastics Project, the game is aimed to immerse our young community in the marine environment of St Helena, where they (as a diver) can learn about our IUCN Category VI, Marine Protected Area, our unique marine wildlife and what can they do to protect it! The digital nature of the game ensures longevity – and we would love to see it developed more in the future for all age groups and with further levels.”
SHG’s Marine Conservation Officer, Rhys Hobbs, added:
“This is a fantastic additional legacy for the Plastics Project, and especially timely with the current school closures. Hopefully the app will serve as a tool to help further engage the Island’s children and teach them more about the marine environment and what lives in it.”
The game is available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
#StHelena #MarineGame #DEFRA #PlasticRecycling #Partnership
SHG
16 April 2020