| When you hear the name O'Neill you immediately think | | | | constantly changing, as is the environment. Marine |
| of surfer dude's with their surfer's hair, bronzed bodies | | | | habitat and the relationship between oceans and the |
| and wetsuits. The name has come to be synonymous | | | | environment are touched on during O'Neill's short |
| with surf clothing after Jack O'Neill set up the original | | | | course and this will be enough to tell these children |
| surf shop in the Sixties. Up until that point, all surf shops | | | | whether or not they are interested in it enough to take |
| had stocked surf boards but it was O'Neill that was | | | | up a similar course on leaving school. |
| supplying the only surf clothing. In fact, it is believed he | | | | Also studied on the Sea Odyssey Programme is |
| was responsible for the first wet suit designs. | | | | Ecology. This is a very important subject for today's |
| However, Jack O'Neill is also responsible for | | | | youngsters to understand. There is much in the press |
| disadvantaged children learning about the environment | | | | about mankind's effects on the world around us and to |
| and marine life on his O'Neill Sea Odyssey Programme. | | | | see it with the clarity that a short burst of information |
| This aims to teach children all about the environment | | | | can provide, it will probably have a more far-reaching |
| and the effects people have on it. Producing children | | | | impact. Ecology is a science all its own studying the |
| that are much more aware of the impact they have | | | | distribution of organisms and the interactions between |
| on their surroundings and how they can help or hinder it | | | | them and their environment, including the effects of |
| can oly be a good thing. | | | | climate and geology. |
| This course, in Santa Cruz, California takes place on | | | | The navigation part of the course involves learning |
| the Team O'Neill 65' catamaran over three hours. | | | | how to plan, read and control the movements of those |
| There is also on-line education tools that schools can | | | | who are moving around the sea's, particularly while |
| use in conjunction with the course and, although it is | | | | they are studying the ecology. There is no point in |
| relatively short, it gives these kids a good grounding in | | | | understanding our impact on the environment if we |
| the understanding of ecology, navigation and marine | | | | have no way of controlling it while we study it. |
| biology. | | | | This course, as I said earlier, is predominantly for |
| So, what is the point of it? Well, the kids learn that | | | | disadvantaged young people. For those who get this |
| while sports people are often hailed as heroes, | | | | opportunity, many would otherwise have never known |
| everyone still needs to be responsible for their place in | | | | about the possibilities and options open to them to |
| the world and the impact they have on it. They will | | | | study their environment and to be able to give |
| learn about marine biology. This is the study of living | | | | something back. It means that this is just one more |
| organisms that occupy our waterways, from fish to | | | | opening to get their minds active and show them that, |
| corals. They will learn how the forces of nature | | | | whatever their background, they can make a |
| change the marine habitat and the effects that | | | | difference. Just as O'Neill has done when he could so |
| mankind also have on it. | | | | easily have made a comfortable living simply from |
| Marine biology is a science that can take many years | | | | selling surf clothing. |
| of study to get to grips with. Even then, ideas are | | | | |