Posted on August 7, 2017
DUEproject initiative
The project M.A.R.E. joined the MAREA Outdoors Association to work with the DUEproject (http://dueproject.org) initiative, which involves all sea enthusiasts. The aim is to survey and record key marine species to help determine the health status of the Mediterranean Sea.
MAREA decided to organize a full day of biological monitoring at Ieranto Bay and volunteers of Project M.A.R.E. were present throughout the whole event. The day started with the briefing of activities and tasks, species and how to fill in the monitoring questionnaires. All participants learned how the initiative works and how they should monitor and record the species. Afterwards we did snorkeling and monitoring. We saw many different species and shared knowledge. We had a break for lunch together and after we continued. In the end of the day, we analysed our findings and discussed the outcomes. It was a fun and interesting day!
Posted on August 7, 2017
Garbage in the sea: Ieranto Bay.
The main task in project MARE is to maintain and monitor Ieranto bay. This includes a diverse range of tasks which includes cleaning the sea and the beaches. With changing winds and currents the amount of garbage in the bay increases or decreases. During this time, both brought in more than usual.
So, in the space of a few weeks, we collected a copious amount of rubbish floating in the sea. As the path from Nerano to Ieranto is a difficult one, and carrying loads of full bin bags after a long day’s work in the bay is not an easy thing to do. Hence, the garbage turned out to be way too much to carry back over land to Nerano, so the Area Marina Protetta’s rubber boat was drafted in to help with the transport.
Luca Urro, the AMP’s captain, gladly helped us to embark and load all the rubbish, and we swiftly made our way to Nerano. Everything was managed so that we arrived at the same time as the garbage collection service arrived, mainly to help us out.
One message that we would like to spread is take care of the sea and avoid leaving things where they don’t belong!
Posted on August 5, 2017
Mid-term training
In the middle of the summer – the hottest time in the meaning of the weather and as well as amount of the work, the project M.A.R.E. volunteers left their daily routine aside to participate in the mid-term training. This time we had to split our team, because we couldn’t go all together, as somebody always has to keep an eye on Ieranto bay.
Olga, Felipe and Henrik went to the first training, which took place in a very pleasing place – a hotel at the seaside of Civitavecchia city on 18th till 21st of July. They could enjoy nice evenings at the beach, watching the sun falling into the sea or a swim in the swimming pool.
Contrary the other trio (Anis, Meli and Indra) had a chance to experience different landscapes and more Nordic weather, as the training took place in a peaceful place not far from Vitorchiano, surrounded by mountains, meadows and trees one week later. Volunteers were welcomed by a heavy rainfall and cooler air temperatures. The last evening this group organized also a visit to a small, but very beautiful and charming town Vitorchiano.
Despite of the diverse places and people gathered by these events, both groups of M.A.R.E. volunteers had a fascinatingly similar experience. It was an opportunity to meet friends from the arrival-training, get to know many new personalities, exchange the experience as well the ideas, how to solve the problems faced during the EVS. The trainers were sympathetic, the activities exciting and worthwhile and encouraged us to think over our EVS journey and to build plans for the future. The participants in some way were more wisdom and cohesive. All in all, these days were as a sip of fresh air (direct and figuratively), fulfilled with fun as well as relaxing moments, leaving pleasant memories for everybody.
Posted on August 4, 2017
MARE per Esplorare – 3rd session
After the two first sessions of Mare per Esplorare, the Marelini (bambini di Mare Per Esplorare) now know of three nets : creels, trammel, longline.
This Tuesday 1st August, with the hot weather, Mare per esplore was slow to start. The children arrived one by one. While waiting for them, we prepared Largo Vescovado for a especially large game “fish me”. The pictures of different fishes were hidden everywhere. Each child had to find 4 pictures of the same species. After finding them, they had to answer with which type of net this fish could be caught.
When we had enough children(8 – 10), we could to begin the orientation game. After initiating the game, they rushed to find and recover the images on the trees, the benches, in the nets and on the walls at differents heights.
At the end, almost all of them knew with what net I can catch their species. Real progress, and also very nice to see!
The second game was a role-playing game wtih 3 roles : fisherman, fish and jellyfish. Fisherman beats fish; Fish beats jellyfish; Jellyfish beats fisherman. Divided in two groups, each group got to decide on one role in secret. We counted to three and they immitated the role they had choosen together. When one group won against other, they had to run and catch the children in the other group. The one caught joins the team which caught them, and so on. They didn’t want to stop so we continued for “tre ultima” (the three last), and we could hear after that “l’ultima, l’ultima” and continued to play more. It was very nice to see them so enthousiastic about the game.
The third game was with different approach. We played the “fisher game” with different instructions. The first round is played with only one fisherman, with the other children playing as fish. The second round was played with 5 fishermen so with less fish (10). The third time with 10 fishermen, and with only 5 fish! This was all done in ordrer to show the children what is happening in the sea balance-wise, and to show the difference between what the industry looked like 50 years ago and today: Initially, less fishermen and more fish, with it being easy to fish the quantity we aimed for. Now with more fishermen and less fish, not everybody can catch the one fish…. We based this game on reality, so that they could really get to understand what is happening in the world actually today. The kids are turning out to be really smart !
Finally, we finished the day with a manual activity : to create a fish by tracing our hands, and to draw, color and cut it out. At the end of the session, everybody left with a prize and with a smile.
Thank you for your help Nuria (our mentor and volunteer in 2016) and Alvaro (volunteer in 2014).
Méli-Shèryam and Anis
Updated on August 2, 2017
“Un MARE per Esplorare 2017” has been started!
