OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale receives Party for the Planet grant

PHOENIX — The OdySea Aquarium in Scottsdale won a $10,000 grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), according to an announcement released last week.

The grant from the Party for the Planet: Spring into Action campaign will support OdySea’s SHARK Mobile learning program.

SHARK Mobile teaches children in local Title 1 schools about sustainable habits. The program hosts campus cleanups and teaches students how to replace pollinator plants.

SHARK Mobile is one of 12 projects to benefit from AZA’s Party for the Planet campaign. This is the sixth years the campaign has received support from the Disney Conservation Fund, AZA said.

Other zoos, museums and aquariums around the country also received $5,000 or $10,000 grants, although the OdySea was the only Arizonan organization to benefit from the campaign this year.

The campaign allocated a total of $95,000 in grants this year.

How these grants from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums promote sustainability

Dan Ashe, the president and CEO of AZA, said this campaign is a great way to connect families to nature.

“From Earth Day to World Ocean Day, this campaign, with the generous support of the Disney Conservation Fund, leverages the reach and resources of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to clean, connect, and conserve by providing family-friendly volunteer and conservation action opportunities that focus on creating healthy habitats to improve our planet, like planting a pollinator garden or cleaning up a nearby waterway,” Ashe said in a statement.

AZA awards these grants each year to support initiatives that promote conservation, education, and community engagement.