Celebrate the Gulf raising habitat awareness

In South Mississippi, the weekend provided an opportunity for children of all ages to learn a little more about the environment around them.

Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival is held each year on the first Saturday of April at War Memorial Park in Pass Christian.

Guests were able to explore more than 35 exhibits to learn about wildlife and their habitats.

Kids of all ages were able to interact with live animals like alligators, crabs, and touch skeletons and shells.

Jonathan Leard of the Office of Geology says he hopes the hands-on experience helps kids appreciate where they live. “An event like this makes people aware of the rich geological resources we have in Mississippi. Not many people are aware that we have people from all over the world to study dinosaurs, they come over here to study the first mammals, they come here to study fossils that can only be found in Egypt.”

Leard wants to encourage kids to go outside and be curious about the world around them and he says the best geologist is the one who sees the most rocks.