news
Marine museum and resource centre to open soon in Ifaty
Jul 18, 2007
The marine museum located on the beach just north of Ifaty village nears completion. The museum will house numerous shells (kindly donated by Regional Tourist Association representative Mr Allain, of Toliara) as well as informative posters about the local environment, threats and conservation ideas. There will also be a display of winning posters from a drawing competition at Ifaty school organized by ReefDoctor.
The aim of the museum is to educate local people and tourists about the local environment and problems associated with it. There will be notes on good tourism practices, such as not buying illegal shells and treading on the coral. This part of the museum will go hand in hand with tourism information leaflets and the implementation of the Rose Garden Marine Protected Area – a popular tourist destination.
The museum is not only for tourists however and it is hoped that local people including school children will visit the museum and benefit from a better understanding of their environment, the threats facing it and what they can do to help. School children will be required to visit the museum as part of the new marine curriculum being developed in this area which aims to create a basic understanding of the local marine environment and its associated processes, creating a more educated and aware next generation.
