ARK British Virgin Islands
  • Home
  • ABOUT ARK
  • KEY PROGRAMMES
    • BVI Sea Turtle Programme >
      • STEEL Project
      • Turtle Encounters Project
      • Turtles & Fibropapilloma
    • Coral Restoration >
      • Coral Nurseries
      • SCTLD >
        • BVI Art Reef Project
    • Sustainable Cruising & Yachting
    • Ridge to Reef >
      • SeaSweep & SwampSweep
      • Ivan Dawson Primary School Rain Garden
      • Stormwater mitigation - BVI Humane Society
    • ARK Expeditions >
      • VI Museums
  • RESOURCES
    • E-library
    • USEFUL WEBSITES
    • SELECTED BVI LAWS & REGULATIONS
  • HELP ARK
  • CONTACT
​
  • Home
  • ABOUT ARK
  • KEY PROGRAMMES
    • BVI Sea Turtle Programme >
      • STEEL Project
      • Turtle Encounters Project
      • Turtles & Fibropapilloma
    • Coral Restoration >
      • Coral Nurseries
      • SCTLD >
        • BVI Art Reef Project
    • Sustainable Cruising & Yachting
    • Ridge to Reef >
      • SeaSweep & SwampSweep
      • Ivan Dawson Primary School Rain Garden
      • Stormwater mitigation - BVI Humane Society
    • ARK Expeditions >
      • VI Museums
  • RESOURCES
    • E-library
    • USEFUL WEBSITES
    • SELECTED BVI LAWS & REGULATIONS
  • HELP ARK
  • CONTACT

ARK EXPEDITIONS

Picture
PROJECT AIMS:
Many people in the BVI have never been to places such the Wreck of the RMS Rhone or the salt ponds of Anegada, let alone experiencing a sea turtle swimming over a coral reef. Therefore, the overall aim of the project is to provide people the opportunity to “experience” and reconnect with what the BVIs natural resources have to offer as they are too often overlooked and the services they provide are forgotten.
 
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Many teachers and various organisations have requested ARK to give presentations on subjects such as the importance of coral reefs and mangroves but showing a bunch of pretty photos on a big screen is boring. However, Google Expeditions™ has developed an immersive and collaborative virtual reality (VR) experience using 360 degree imagery that allows one to take a group of people diving over a reef, through a mangrove forest, or just about anywhere in the world, all from the comforts of a classroom.

​
The concept of the ARK Expedition is to develop various “trips” throughout the BVI that focus on the importance of our natural resources, without leaving the classroom. ARK Expeditions will be carried out primarily at local schools but also by request of any organisation. 

​Any teacher interested in developing a lesson plan to use VR should contact ARK.

​
We want to specially thank the HM Governor's Office in the BVI for the grant that made this programme possible. 
We will adding 360° images of the BVI here soon! 
Picture
CREDIT: THE OCEAN AGENCY / XL CATLIN SEAVIEW SURVEY
When we received the grant for our VR kits, AWOL (Art Without Limits) and Island Bags also received funding for their initiatives. So, we put our heads together and came up with an idea we could all collaborate on to make a bigger impact so we came up with: 

(RE)-Connect  Recycle  Environment  Art  Technology  Explore  BVI

Picture
What would happen if we used VR to inspire kids to create artwork from ocean imagery that could be entered into a contest in which the winning image would be made into a reusable bag? 
Picture

We ended up with this!

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Picture
Picture
​We were delighted to have Governor Jaspert  host a prizegiving ceremony in which all kids received some sort of prize for their effort in entering.
To read the press release, click here
And the Grand Prize:
Picture

Picture
Picture
Picture
​© ASSOCIATION OF REEF KEEPERS (ARK) 2018- BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
​ASSOCIATION OF REEF KEEPERS (ARK)
PO BOX 3252 PMB 2106
​ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS VG 1110
​info@bviark.org