Penguins in Charleston...and on Facebook

I "friended" Waddle the Penguin today on Facebook. 

Seriously, Waddle is my newest contact, and I look forward to following his travels as he gets settled in his new home at the South Carolina Aquarium.

It's spring break this week, so when Cappi Wilborn from the aquarium invited me to come meet its four newest residents, I decided I'd mix work with some fun and take my kids along.  So we headed downtown for a sneak peak of the aquarium's soon-to-be-opened exhibit, Penguin Planet.

The penguins, which are on loan from Sea World in San Diego, arrived two months ago and have been getting acclimated to their new home in the Lowcountry.  The aquarium built a special exhibit to house the birds and did special training to ensure the staff was fully equipped to care for these very special creatures.

I'm not sure what it is about penguins that makes them so fascinating.  They swim, eat fish (mackerel being their favorite, I'm told), stand still for hours and then swim again...  Sounds kind of boring, but it's not.  Whether you're 40 (something) like me or eight like my son Will, it's easy to share in the magic.   

Like most museums, so much of what the aquarium does is focused on education.  Stopping by the aquarium to visit the four Magellanic penguins isn't just fun, it's also an opportunity to learn more about the world of penguins and the role they play in our ecosystem.  While you're there, you just might meet Waddle, the penguins' mascot. 

And if you'd like to keep in touch after your visit, you can visit Waddle's website, www.WheresWaddle.com, link to him on Facebook or follow him on twitter.  This bird is clearly a Millennial who understands how to use technology to engage kids of all ages.  I know I'll be looking for updates from Waddle on Facebook.  I admit it.  Ever since my mother gave me a copy of Mr. Popper's Penguins, I've been an unabashed penguin fan. 

Kudos to the South Carolina Aquarium for deploying social media tools not only for education but also to engage penguin fans like me and provide us with the opportunity to get involved.  Blackbaud is proud to be a corporate member of the aquarium and to support the educational programs they provide within the community.