The 8th annual Robert Bateman Writing and Art Contest launched today at the Vancouver Aquarium with a lively painting tutorial from local artist 'Rogest' and a creative writing workshop from 'Lolo' of the children's duo Bobs and Lolo with Grade 7 students from Vancouver's General Wolfe Elementary. Our red-tailed hawk, Rudy, also flew in for a visit.

Three levels of government, represented by BC MP Ron Cannan, MLA Colin Hansen, BC Minister of Economic Development, and Mayor Sam Sullivan celebrated Aquaquest - the Marilyn Blusson Learning Centre, which is slated to be the first LEED Gold cultural institution in Canada. Aquaquest is fully equipped with state-of-the-art green technology thanks to a $1 million investment from Western Economic Diversification Canada specifically for green building development.

Blood test results and an ultrasound show that Hana, the Vancouver Aquarium's 12-year-old Pacific white-sided dolphin is pregnant. The average gestation period for these animals is 11 - 12 months, so a birth is expected this summer.

A canoe made entirely of duct tape, a stolen car, eight toilet seats and fourteen barbecues were just some of the items found during last year's TD Canada Trust Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Organizers have tallied the findings from 966 cleanup sites across the country, and participants removed 84,708 kg of shoreline litter that would have otherwise dirtied our beaches and park waterways for local plants, animals and us! 40,781 registered participants scoured 2,080 km of shoreline across the country.

Vancouver Aquarium Chair Janet Landucci and Vice-President of Conservation, Research, and Education Eric Solomon presented McBride Annex school in East Vancouver with a copy of People, Fish and Whales, written by former Aquarium Director Dr. Murray Newman, with a section by current President Dr. John Nightingale. The school hosted the Aquarium's AquaVan today and was very pleased to receive this book.