June 5 and 6 | Wave of Change: World Oceans Week Mural

Dates and times: June 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. | June 6, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Location: SLC Amphitheatre

Open to: Students, faculty and staff

Contact: Erica Wilkinson, sustainability coordinator, erica.wilkinson@torontomu.ca

You’re invited to help create a mural on-campus

In honour of World Oceans Week and National Indigenous Peoples Month, TMU Indigenous Events and Special Projects and the Sustainability Office are inviting students, faculty and staff to help create a mural celebrating our marine and freshwater environments and reflect on our shared responsibility to protect our waterways.

How will the mural be created?

Using reclaimed materials donated to the TMU Free Store, participants will create a mural that will be displayed within the SLC Amphitheatre celebrating the role we all play in protecting life below the waves. 

This activity employs a two-eyed seeing approach, integrating Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, highlights the leadership of Indigenous women as key water protectors and supports TMU’s ongoing commitment to Indigenous reconciliation, sustainability and education. 

Why is World Oceans Week important?

World Oceans Week activities provide a dedicated space to honour and explore our relationship with the ocean through learning, storytelling and cultural exchange. This initiative highlights the urgent need for ocean conservation and encourages the TMU community to reflect on our shared responsibility to protect marine ecosystems for future generations.

Earth’s oceans are at risk 

Much of the waste we generate on land, especially plastics, ends up in the ocean, threatening marine biodiversity, polluting water and disrupting fragile ecosystems. Our ocean mural making event encourages the TMU community to reflect on their consumption habits and take tangible steps to reduce waste, such as investing in reusable items, avoiding single-use plastics and disposing of waste properly. 

Explore more World Oceans Week and National Indigenous Peoples Month events

This event is part of World Oceans Week and National Indigenous Peoples Month’s Water Teachings and Interactive Activities event. Other activities include the Moccasin Identifier treaty recognition activity, DIY craft tables and augmented-reality storytelling with two giant maps: Biinaagami: Virtual Water Walk Around the Great Lakes and Ocean, Freshwater and Us.

Learn more and register for World Oceans Week and National Indigenous Peoples Month’s Water Teachings and Interactive Activities events by completing the  (google form) registration form (external link, opens in new window) . Information about additional National Indigenous Peoples Month events held throughout June is available on the Indigenous TMU website.

While we encourage you to register for World Oceans Week and National Indigenous Peoples Month events, registration is not required to participate in the Wave of Change: World Oceans Week Mural activity.