A is for apple, b is for bird…c is for conservation

• Some 92% of seagrass meadows, a vital habitat for endangered wildlife, have disappeared around Britain’s coastlines over the last century.
• Some species of seagrass can take carbon from the atmosphere up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. It also promotes flood resilience and helps the fight against coastal erosion.
• Despite this, new research shows 69% of UK parents of primary school-aged children have never heard of the term ‘blue carbon’ and 55% don’t know what seagrass is.
• To raise awareness amongst the next generation, Zurich has partnered with TV presenter, Paralympic medallist and climate champion Ade Adepitan to launch a children’s book called “The Secret Garden Under the Sea, Seanna the Seahorse and Friends” dedicated to the subject.
• Ade recently carried out the first book reading with the ultimate focus group - a classroom full of six-year-olds at the Oasis Academy Johanna in London’s Waterloo.

• Click here to view images
• Click here to view the e-book

More carbon is stored in coastal and marine marshes and seagrass meadows than in the world’s rainforests. As well as its key role in the climate change challenge, blue carbon can also help protect against rising sea levels and flooding. It could be one of nature’s greatest weapons in the battle against climate change - but most Brits have never heard of ‘blue carbon’, according to new research by Zurich Municipal.

A staggering 92% of UK seagrass meadows – which provide habitats for endangered species, promote flood resilience, and help fight coastal erosion – have disappeared over the last century.

Whilst habitat destruction of this scale would be cause for public outcry if it were to happen on land, a lack of public awareness has allowed the disappearance of these vital habitats to go largely unnoticed by the general public.

Almost seven out of ten (69%) of UK parents of primary school-aged children have never heard of the term ‘blue carbon’ and 55% don’t know what seagrass is.

Now insurer Zurich Municipal has teamed up with TV presenter, Paralympic medallist and climate champion Ade Adepitan to launch a children’s book about seagrass which sets out to raise awareness amongst primary school children and parents in a simple and engaging way.

The book ‘The Secret Garden Under the Sea’, which was written by former head teacher and children’s author Neil Griffiths, tells the story of Seanna the Seahorse and her friends. It brings to life the importance of seagrass, to help children learn about organic ways to help the planet through simple storytelling.

Using characters such as ‘the murky monster’ to depict pollution, and the ‘emerald sea queen’ to represent the restorative powers of seagrass, the book is designed to help children and their parents understand the ways in which marine eco-systems help the planet in a fun and engaging way.

The book’s publication comes at a topical time, as Zurich’s study also reveals that over half (58%) of primary school parents want to see sustainability on the national curriculum through non-alarming materials. They believe children need to learn more about climate change. Whilst it is currently included in the curriculum, it features across a range of subjects - not in its entirety.

The campaign coincides with Zurich’s partnership with the Marine Conservation Society, a charity that helps to restore seagrass meadows around Britain’s coasts.

Ade Adepitan, TV presenter, Paralympic medallist and climate champion said:

“Primary school is a really important time to educate children about all aspects of our planet and sustainability in a positive way. This wasn’t something I had the privilege to learn about at school, so I feel passionately that we must take the opportunity to educate this generation to truly understand the topic.“

Amy Brettell, Managing Director Zurich Municipal comments:

“I adored reading as a child; I felt like I was transported to different worlds through books. I am thrilled that we can now offer such positive materials to help primary school children understand the importance and benefits of seagrass to biodiversity and our own world.”

Dawn Venn, Principal at Oasis Johanna Primary School, London commented:

“It was a great experience to have Ade come and read this book for our children. As part of our curriculum, we focus on the importance of environmental sustainability. Enrichment lessons such as this only help to excite our learners about this topic.”

Labour MP for Vauxhall Florence Eshalomi comments:

“It’s great to see public figures like Ade and businesses like Zurich working with schools to provide valuable resources that positively raise awareness with children of our marine habitats and their role in protecting the environment. Climate change is one of the biggest issues we are currently facing, and from visits to schools across my Vauxhall constituency I see how much it matters to young people. Projects like this will help them engage with it in a practical and meaningful way.”

Sandy Luk, CEO Marine Conservation Society comments:

“For the health of our planet, and to tackle the effects of a changing climate, ocean recovery is vital. Seagrass is one example of an ocean habitat with incredible power, but few people are aware of this ocean superhero. Education is key to ensuring the next generation understand the importance of our seas and how we can all make a difference. All of us have a huge part to play in securing the future health of our planet; primary school education is a fantastic way to grow understanding of our ocean’s role from a young age. We hope Seanna’s adventures in the secret garden under the sea inspire a whole new generation of ocean enthusiasts.”

Neil Griffiths, former head teacher and children’s author comments:

“I’ve worked in education for my entire career so taking complex topics and bringing them to life through story telling was a huge part of my everyday career. I’ve always been passionate about bringing some fun and colour into education, this project has really tested my skills with such a complex topic, but I’m delighted with the outcome and hope it helps 1000’s of school children around the country to understand more about our oceans.”

The book has been written by children’s author and former head teacher Neil Griffiths. Designed for 4–7-year-olds, the story was created by Ade Adepitan and Zurich and has been brought to life by illustrator Erin Mackay.

Zurich is offering free copies for schools across the country. The first 300 schools to email seannatheseahorse@uk.zurich.com will be sent a hard copy.

To learn more about the campaign visit our website www.zurich.co.uk/sustainability/our-planet/seahorse where you can download a free copy of the e-book or audio book.

Notes to editors

Why is seagrass so important?

• Healthy seagrass beds can absorb around a tenth of the ocean’s carbon each year and provide habitats for many endangered species. Sadly, seagrass habitats have been damaged and degraded over the past century due to dredging and pollution, reducing by 92% .
• Seagrass in the United Kingdom provides nursery and breeding grounds for fish such as cod, plaice and sharks, as well as providing a habitat for endangered wildlife including stalked jellyfish, short snouted seahorses and spiny or ‘long snouted’ seahorses.
• Many smaller creatures including whelks, snails, peacock worms and common periwinkles also call seagrass home.