Posted on January 25, 2021
Report of the Summer Season 2020
Project M.A.R.E. presents the report of the summer season activities in Ieranto Bay.
In this report, you can find a great overview of what has been done, understand what role our project plays in the protection and monitoring of the bay, comprehend the valuable statistics from this summer and reflect on the situation in Ieranto. As well as, see the ups and downs that we have faced this year and successful challenges that we overcame.
You can open the PDF of the report below.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us via email and our social media platforms.
Updated on January 22, 2021
The clean-up of the Crapolla Cove
The past few weeks brought us an exceptional amount of wind and rain, forcing us to stay and work from home up until last week. On Monday, January 11th, we finally got blessed with a clear sky and we decided to use the opportunity to get out of the house and do something meaningful. We had a relaxing hike to the beautiful Crapolla where we organized a beach clean-up and had one of the most rewarding teamwork experiences in a long time.
Crapolla Cove is a spectacular place, a real hidden gem. The crystal-clear turquoise water and tremendous scenery from the hike going down (650 steps, to be exact) are worth the effort, and it embodies what hiking is all about – magnificent views, tons of fresh air and a good workout. Before reaching the beach, you can stop to visit the small Chapel of San Pietro and appreciate some columns and marble bases of the ancient buildings next to it. Whereas next to the beach you can see monazeni – ancient fisherman shelters, dating back to Roman times – that are engraved into the rocks and some other important Roman structures, such as cistern remains from which the freshwater was taken.
Upon arrival, we were shocked how much trash was washed out on such a small beach. Most of it was plastic, so much of it, as well as shoes, glass, and an enormous amount of polystyrene. Surprisingly, we didn’t find any face masks that were creating a big impact on our environment last year. Looking closer into the sand we could also find many tiny pieces of plastic, that most of the time are hard to spot and collect. Honestly, this was upsetting. However, our team made a great job and a small but significant difference. We also tried to recycle rubbish straight away while collecting and putting it into appropriate bags. The next day half of our team returned to Crapolla by boat to collect them.
It has always been a challenge to maintain the beach clean because currents constantly keep bringing rubbish to the shore. During summer the municipality organizes weekly beach clean-ups, whereas in winters people from nearby places do it themselves but there are many obstacles, such as storms, that often get in the way. Also, the beach is surrounded by steep slopes that make it incredibly difficult to bring the collected trash up to the village. That said, it often gets burned on the spot because people don’t know who should be contacted to take the rubbish away. Toxic gases and chemicals emitted by burning plastic materials, such as dioxins and furans, have a significant impact on the atmosphere as well as human health. Dioxins attach to dust particles and they can be carried long distances by the wind. During the rain, they usually get brought back to the sea, causing toxic pollution.
Every place we have been, everywhere we have swum – full of plastic, and that’s the harsh reality of today’s world. Let’s make a collective effort every time we visit any natural place to leave it better than before! Our nature needs help more than ever, and it is our responsibility to try to make it a better place. That said, if you collect trash in Crapolla, Recommone or any other remote beach, please contact the Marine Park of Punta Campanella and we will organize a trash pickup!
Remember, that if there is no blue, there is no green!
Updated on December 29, 2020
A spicy dive into Tunisian culture
Tunisia reveals a rich past that lies beneath an eclectic mix of intertwined cultures and religions. Throughout time, it has naturally become a multicultural and multilingual country that perfectly combines traditions and modernity. Fortunately for us, both of our Tunisian volunteers, Akrem and Oussama, are from different parts of Tunisia, so we got a wonderful chance to explore this magnificent country from north to south and back again.
Tolerance, hospitality and joy…these are just a few words that describe Tunisian culture. It’s so different than we have used to see in Europe in nearly every possible aspect you can think of. It’s mind-blowing to realize how many different civilizations have left a certain degree of cultural print that makes Tunisia so interesting and magnificent.
While playing history-related games, we learned that Tunisia and European countries surrounding the Mediterranean, especially Italy and Spain, have so many things in common, such as the Mediterranean diet and the excessive use of olive oil, the traditional Tunisian music that bears a close resemblance to flamenco or numerous linguistic coincidences. Surprisingly, but all of them also have been under the same empire or territory for more than a thousand years, with the Phoenicians, with the Roman Empire and later under the rule of the Arabs.
None of us had ever seen such a beautiful yet complicated alphabet as the Arabic one before. It really seems like a piece of art. Just the fact that you need to read Arabic from right to left is incredible. Learning it made us think how amazing it is that so many different, complex languages and cultures co-exist. However, we must admit – it takes a lot of effort to speak the language, considering the fact, that many sounds for us, Europeans, aren’t quite familiar.
The landscapes of Tunisia are simply beautiful, and it is impressive how diverse it is. Through the screen, we were able to see some of the most breathtaking sights of the islands, cities, mountains and deserts. On top of that, Oussama surprised us with jebba – a key element of Tunisian traditional men suit made of flax and silk – that he brought from his home. We would be lying if we said that we didn’t find ourselves with a strong desire to visit the country and experience all the beauty with our own eyes.
One extra spicy advice we can give you after the Tunisian cultural month – never judge harissa (a Tunisian hot chilli sauce) from the one you can find in the supermarket! We highly suggest you to try the real one, the one that will make you feel like there is smoke in your mouth. Apart from that, we also tasted some very delicious and hot traditional dishes, such as leblabi (Tunisian chickpea soup), mlewi (Tunisian flatbread), kafteji (Tunisian fried vegetables) and couscous all spiced up with, you guessed it, harissa. All dishes were made with an incredible amount of patience and love, and we really appreciate it.
Ayeshkom, ragazzi, for an extraordinary experience full of new flavours and sounds that we will cherish forever!
Akrem, our lovely Tunisian host: “It has been a blessing to share what I felt representative of what makes me Tunisian. I’ve been raised to be a good host and generous to my guests, so it was natural to share that with the good company of the team. I liked how they were receptive and engaged they were in the different activities that we did. Moreover, the fact that few of them would try some of the dishes that they helped me prepare. Even though a month is short to show all about a culture, it’s a good amount of time to get to know it and have a taste of it. Thank you, guys, for giving me the privilege to be an ambassador of Tunisia! I hope I was a good one!”
Updated on December 29, 2020
Middle of the Project: A time for self-reflection
This is it. We are officially halfway through the project. We would be lying if we said that it isn’t a little bittersweet. This year has been such an emotional roller-coaster, fuelled by uncertainty and anxiety. The pandemic has had a strong impact on the way how things are getting done in 2020, and all we can do is to evolve and adapt to a “new normal”. Despite all the chaos in the world, we, M.A.R.E. 2020 team, have done amazing things that no virus can take away from us.
In this article, we wanted to share our thoughts and feelings we are dealing with at this time. It’s important for all of us, especially now, during a pandemic, to make time for self-reflection and remind ourselves how far we have come before continuing with the journey ahead.
ARINA:
It is hard to believe that half of the project is already over, time flies incredibly fast. So far it has been an amazing opportunity full of new experiences. Weighting all in my head, I would not choose to do anything else instead of this project in this period of time, I have a feeling that I am in the right place at the right time, despite everything that is happening in our world right now. I feel grateful for this chance in life, and I think I grew and matured significantly over these past months. Learning something new every day from each other is very valuable. I can say that each day brings us, volunteers, closer and we have become like a family with our own inside jokes and understandings, that sometimes does not require words.
We all know that it is now a COVID time, and therefore, a lot of our project activities are restricted or cancelled at all this year, which is sad, but what keeps us going is our team. It is beyond belief, whenever I think about it, that we all live on this planet, and never know about the existence of each other, running busy through our own problems and everyday lives, and then one collision of mini-events brings us all together to share nine months of our lives with each other. To me, this is a very precious and important thing.
I can say that I try to stay positive and appreciate every small thing that happens every day, this helps in these challenging times. Living by the sea is another thing that we are all blessed with. My heart is filled with gratitude and I am looking forward to the lockdown to be over, so we can all enjoy Italy a little bit more because this country is incredible! This quote by Giuseppe Verdi represents perfectly how I feel about Italy: «You may have the universe if I may have Italy». I want to experience as much as I can of it, and I don’t think I can ever get enough of this beautiful land!
Stay safe and positive, beautiful human beings! Hugs, Arina!
KRISTIANS:
Time flies. I think it’s hard to understand this phenomenal concept until you experience it first-hand. Before coming to Italy, I had a feeling that this adventure will pass by faster than I can blink, and wow, was I wrong… Honestly, it’s so strange reminiscing on my time here, remembering the highs, lows and in between moments. Even though we still have four incredible months ahead of us, I’m beyond grateful for the lessons I’ve learned. I feel like I’ve discovered a new side of myself and I’m very keen to see how it evolves as time progresses.
Patience has always been one of my strongest virtues and now, while being in the middle of a pandemic, I’ve developed it even more. Yes, this definitely has been a challenging year for everyone and never in a million years did I expect my volunteering experience would turn out like this, but, through it all, we as a team have done incredible things and I’m so proud of us. Being surrounded by such amazing and kind people from all over the world has been a rewarding journey that I will cherish forever. Ragazzi, if you are reading this, you are amazing!
It doesn’t matter what I do – I can save little hatchlings, collect trash from the beach or raise awareness on marine litter – the fulfilment I find in helping those in need is incredible. It makes me feel human. Yes, I may not be solving problems globally, but I feel so good knowing that I’m doing my bit to make the world a better place and inspiring other along the way.
AKREM:
I still have the image of me hugging my father before boarding the plane. It happened like it was yesterday, well, more like 4 months ago. And what a journey it has been so far! Long story short, we kayaked, we hiked, we snorkeled, we dived, we explored, we helped preserve the environment, we saved someone’s life, we partied, and most importantly we discovered a small part of each other that we probably didn’t knew existed. Sometimes it was challenging to keep up, but it felt good learning new things. Sometimes it was tricky to handle what’s happening around us (i.e. a pandemic) but it felt good to find joy and have fun marine adventures while respecting the environment. And I guess that’s what the project is about. In the past 4 months, I had a lifetime share of memories, but I know that it will not stop there, and I will continue experiencing so many marvellous moments for the second half of this journey. Ci vediamo in 5 mese!
RAQUEL:
Four months have passed since I arrived in Italy to start my M.A.R.E. project experience. I still remember the night I got to meet the team and mentors in person for the first time. Very welcoming and warm moment. Then came all the learning process… and I’m talking about not only the Ieranto work and how the MPA of Punta Campanella works, but also about the Italian language, culture and the places around. Looking back on time to those warm summer days, I can clearly remember the beautiful days in Ieranto, the turtle nesting in Cilento for 10 days, travelling around and living beautiful experiences and moments with all the elements of the project and with the ones that join us every now and then. I have very nice memories and I’m grateful for them. Now, in the middle of the lockdown, I feel that creativity is the key to make the project keep going since it changed a lot compared to previous years. But it’s ok! Let’s keep positive and safe!! That’s all I wish for you too!! Ci vediamo!!
PETRA:
After four and a half months of my ESC voluntary service, I want to share with you my favorite parts of the experience on which I am very grateful to the whole team of project M.A.R.E.
Big thanks to the M.A.R.E. because It gave me an opportunity to:
Experience life close to the sea;
Learn about the marine environment, kayak, snorkel, and see the octopus for the very first time in my life;
Create and nourish our own garden, grow a bunch of bietola and make delicious meals with it;
Experience ”slow life” which gave me time to spend more energy on cooking and taking care of my health; reading and watching movies in Italian;
learn about the Italian, Latvian, Hungarian, Tunisian, Spanish, French, Portuguese culture and have space to share mine;
Explore Sorrento peninsula and its natural and cultural beauties;
Build close relationships with other volunteers and mentors;
Improve my Italian and English;
Work on my communication skills.
Ragazzi/e thank you for all the internal jokes, serious and less serious life advices, shared cookies, soups, songs and motivation! The only part of the project which is lacking for now and due to the Covid-19 circumstances we are not able to carry out is educational activities with children and being more close to other people. I hope it will be possible in the future so we can spread the main values of our project.
GONZALO:
Last November 15 we reached half of the project and in these four and a half month time has flown by, it seems like yesterday when we were still going to work in Ieranto, it was hot, the days were long and ultimately the precious summer was with us. This year is being different for many reasons, especially caused by Covid-19, such as the fact that we are in lockdown right now in the entire Campagna region but even so I couldn’t imagine that I would spend a whole day of lockdown in a kayak or cooking with my friends or enjoying the cultural nights, if it is true that it is a somewhat difficult year for everyone but at least here we live in a small bubble far from reality, without television, without much reading of the media and of course having each other which is the most important thing. Therefore I can conclude that until now (half of the project) everything has gone wonderfully, I have met invaluable people, I have carried out activities that I had only dreamed of before and I find myself in a clearing within the storm that 2020, unfortunately, is being.
OUSSAMA:
Time passes by hastily till we reached the halfway… Different profiles from different countries gathered in one place for one reason which is maintaining the sustainability of the project MARE in a small fascinating place so called IERANTO. It’s quite surprising what we have done so far, finishing summer season with good results, gaining life experience filled with a bunch of new things, memorable moments with such a great team. By the same token we have been also a part of an amazing experience which is “turtles rescue”. At the same time, we were framed by great mentors, they gave us the opportunity to dive deep into the Italian culture.
Each of these stages, positions made an important contribution to our understanding of project MARE. We are still in the halfway, there are a lot of things waiting to be done, places to be discovered and memories to be made… I couldn‘t be more thankful.
MARGOT:
Bonjour! Apparently, we are already halfway of the project! I have the feeling it just started… No wait that is because, for me, it actually just started. I am very thankful to the team because I feel like I was here since the beginning. I did not go through all their ups and downs so I might be lost sometimes but I progressively learn about us. I say US because while learning about each of them, while seeing how different we all are from each other, while living and working together 24/7, I also discover more about myself. This project is as much a challenge as an incredible experience. I am learning a lot whether on a personal or professional level. Knowing that I still have 4 months in front of me makes me quite curious of who will be the Margot after the project. One sure thing is that the Mediterranean thought me to pay attention to underwater details. As It looks all pink from a broader perspective the colours appear while getting closer. Maybe we can take it as a lesson and while in the life we have a first impression it sometimes worth it to look at the details to understand the real picture.
Updated on November 13, 2020
A flavourful dive into Portuguese culture
New month, new culture to embrace and explore! We dedicated the entire month of October to dive into the rich Portuguese culture. We truly had an amazing time playing fun games, taking our taste-buds on some delicious gastronomic journeys, learning Portuguese and moving our hips like there’s no tomorrow. What are our thoughts and biggest takeaways from this experience, you may ask? Let’s find out!
Arina:
In October, without moving anywhere, I could have a glimpse of unique Portuguese culture! The sound of their language, with a rich amount of vowel sounds, is pleasant to the ears, and their exceptional cuisine wakes up your taste buds and inspires to cook and discover more of the traditional dishes their culture has to offer. Not to mention the friendliness, kindness and warmth of the people from there! I enjoyed learning introductory phrases, playing traditional games, listening to Portuguese music and eating all together the most! I can not choose the favourite meal that I tried because I liked them all way too much! I have never been to Portugal, but now it is a MUST on my list! Muito obrigada Raquel and Érica!!
Margot:
Ciao! I arrived halfway during the Portuguese month and those cultural evenings were a nice way to learn about my new team. It is definitely not easy to keep all of us focus during a whole evening, but our Portuguese knew how to attract our attention. First, we learned a little bit about their language. Portuguese has a very warm and generous accent. Second, we played games! Words game, cultural quiz, etc. Did you know that Portugal has around 10 million habitants? Finally, we also learnt a little bit of kizomba. Work still needs to be done so I look forward to our next lesson.
Akrem:
For a first contact with the Portuguese culture and language, it was surprising to see the similarities with other cultures that were familiar. But the most surprising part was the differences in the Portuguese and Brasilian-Portuguese dialects. It was extremely useful to hear and to have some exercises about the language. It showed that it was fairly manageable to learn its basics as it didn’t sound new or unfamiliar. The food was unusual, but it was delicious and savoury. It shows that they devote a lot of time and energy to prepare those magnificent meals. It was also a good chance to have more general knowledge about the Portugal and its history. Long story short, I believe I came out more interested in Portugal and most definitely more enthusiastic about trying to learn the language. Thank you for sharing with us.
Kristians:
For me personally, it wasn’t the first time I encountered Portuguese culture. After graduating from university, I went to Lisbon to do my postgraduate internship. That was my first solo trip abroad and it will always have a special place in my heart. Portuguese cultural month brought back many beautiful memories and reminded me how much I miss that spectacular country. Portuguese are one of the warmest and friendliest people I’ve ever met, and they will always be glad to help you. Their cuisine is incredible, it’s full of wholesome and loving flavours that leave you wanting more. I really enjoyed listening to Fado, which is known to be the soul of Portuguese music. It really has a unique sound that captures my imagination. Oh, and the language… Despite having similar sounds with Latvian, I find Portuguese a difficult language to learn, BUT its phonology and rhythm, in my opinion, is something phenomenal. I really can’t wait to visit Portugal again (hopefully very soon). Raquel e Érica, obrigado pela experiência!
Petra:
After a month without cultural nights, I was happy to have them back so we can all together enjoy another countries culture through food, music, and language. Raquel and Erica, representatives of Portugal, did an amazing job and made me curious enough to try their local dish Bacalhau à Brás, a dish that is made with cod and chips. As someone who doesn’t like fish in general, I must say that I loved it. Hopefully, Portuguese words that I have learned will stay in mind long enough to use them one day when I will go to visit Portugal!
Gonzalo:
Portuguese culture is not something unknown to me, since living in Spain we have many connections with the neighboring country, even so, this Portuguese cultural month has been very interesting for me, because I have learned a lot of things that I gave for known and actually had no idea, such as the unimaginable quality of their towels or their professionalism when preparing the cod. It is true that Spain and Portugal are very similar culturally, but at the same time, it is interesting to realize that in some aspects we are so different, despite the proximity!
Oussama:
First of all, I want to thank Raquel for everything. Few nights have never been enough to present a whole culture but for our beloved Portuguese friend was enough to give a general idea about Portugal. We started with the food as a first step into the Portuguese world, different meal every time, different names, different way of cooking and different taste. Personally I got “jiggy” with the “zoupa di feijao“ original taste mixed with some special flavors. Passing by the historical part, she presented some important information about Portugal through games, and throughout all the cultural nights she was smoothly teaching us how to say some words and what are common words between Portugal and Italy, and the last part was about the Portuguese lifestyle. A trip to Portugal was an excellent experience that I will never forget. Muito obrigado, ANA RAQUEL!
Which culture we will explore next? Stick around to find out!
