Coral Rehab Project for Kids

In the late 1990s, Ziggy began work on one of his first ocean education projects for children. Back then he was working for Friends of the Earth Middle East and serving as the Director of Sea Studies at the Arava Elementary School. 

Ziggy came up with a marine conservation/educational project idea to help students learn that corals are alive. He raised funds and led the program during its pilot year. The project started as a collaboration with the Underwater Observatory in Eilat that continued with it as their main conservation effort. They started with 40 fifth grade students from the Arava Elementary School in Eilat. Twenty years later more then 600 students from a variety of schools were involved annually.

The Israeli Ministry of Education recognized the project with a Special Educational Achievement Award a few years back. Enjoy this SKY News segment from December 1997  that aired in Europe and the Middle East about the ambitious project.