IIS Leonardo da Vinci

Blue fishing vessel

Trapani, Italy

3rd FUNDING CALL

A school has launched a vital project centered on the protection and enhancement of Posidonia Oceanica, a crucial marine plant endemic to the Mediterranean. This initiative aims to educate and engage students and citizens alike, highlighting the plant’s indispensable role in water quality and climate regulation. By combining citizen science with targeted awareness campaigns, the project strives to foster a deeper understanding and active participation in marine ecosystem preservation.

Objectives: Cultivating Marine Awareness

The project’s objectives are multifaceted, focusing on education, responsibility, and community engagement:

• Educate: To inform students about the ecological importance of Posidonia Oceanica and the goals of the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030.”
• Promote Responsibility: To encourage active participation in ecosystem protection through mapping, clean-ups, and data collection.
• Raise Awareness: To inform the broader community through informative graphic panels and public installations, emphasizing Posidonia’s environmental value.

Activities and Collaborations: A Network of Action

To achieve these objectives, the school implements a range of impactful activities and forges strong collaborations:

• Territorial Network Establishment: Creating a network of local stakeholders, including NGOs, public bodies, and media partners, to promote and achieve project goals.
• Information Seminars: Organizing educational sessions to inform students about Posidonia Oceanica and the EU Mission 2030.
• Practical Training: Conducting field activities such as mapping Posidonia banquettes with drones, organizing clean-ups, and collecting waste data using standardized protocols.
• Awareness Campaign: Designing and installing informative graphic panels along coastlines and creating a symbolic “Europe Bench” to promote reflection on marine protection.
• Data Dissemination: Sharing collected data with institutional bodies and the public through various media platforms.

Key Activities include:

• Drone Mapping of the coastal area.
• Beach clean up and waste data collection.
• Creation of informative graphic panels.
• Installation of a European observation bench.
• Seminars and educational workshops.

Outputs and Impact: Seeding Change

The project aims to yield tangible outputs and create a lasting impact:

The project, by including the family of the students, and the community at large, creates a wide spread impact.

Increased student awareness of marine ecosystems and Posidonia’s role.

Active participation in citizen science activities, fostering a sense of responsibility.

Public awareness through informative panels and installations.

Data collection and dissemination to institutional bodies.

Educational resources, including mapping data, waste collection sheets, and multimedia content.