Here are the thoughtful words Patricia Hoffmann, Living Streams Project Manager & Environmental Education Officer, shared about Velvet’s recent time in Invercargill:
“This March, Velvet the Tuna Tapestry was on display for all to enjoy at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill. A 20m section of the tapestry was hung inside a wonderful 12-sided classroom with an observatory on its roof. It was delightful to be able to walk in through the doors of the almost-circular room and see the body of the eel coiling around the classroom with the head almost meeting the tail….
….Two tuna tapestry workshops were held at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery . Children from two primary schools in Invercargill participated in the workshops. First they visited the tuatarium and learned about the amazing tuatara, its habitat and threats to the species. Next, they listened to the story of Velvet and Elvis and learned about longfin eels and the rivers they inhabit in Southland….
Children from Otatara Primary School planning their designs...THANKS KIDS!
….And then they spent two hours making gorgeous decorations for Velvet’s body. These included freshwater invertebrates, smaller eels and fish, and marine fish, sea anemones, jellyfish, whales, starfish and seaweed….
Look at all that Otatara-gorgeous aquatic biodiversity!
Southland Adventist Christian School kids and their principal working on the tapestry at the Southland Museum. "CHEERS" to you all!
…Thank you to Environment Southland for bringing the tapestry to Invercargill, to the Southland Museum and Art Gallery for hosting the tapestry and setting up the workshops, to Norma Anderson for making the beautiful background panel, and to the children from Southland Adventist Christian School and Otatara Primary for their beautiful work!”
And, of course, thanks to PAT herself for making all of these wonderful events happen to help the eels and freshwater in New Zealand! “CHEERS” from all us tuna folks in NZ, the US and beyond!!! Here’s a front page article in the “Eye” to read more about Velvet’s time there: The Eye 29 March 2012 page 11-1