With over 44 volunteers throughout this summer, from more than 10 different countries, this experience has been truly enriching for everyone involved. During their time in Maiori, volunteers took part in a variety of activities that will forever change their lives but also our community spirit. With ”Make it blue”, we took the city of Maiori and its surroundings one step further to a greener future, where we can all enjoy clean beaches and experiences full of cultural quality.
Although the project launched three months ago, it feels like everything happened in the blink of an eye. Welcoming the first volunteers and once again finding ourselves in a position to offer an unforgettable experience to many young people, while also making a meaningful impact on the world. And what better way to showcase that than through real results? Let’s take a look at a review of how this summer has unfolded.
The daily work of the volunteers
Together with our volunteers, we collected around 200 bags of trash and more than 13500 cigarettes butts. With a total of 40 beach cleanups. Several times per week our volunteers were working together to remove trash from the beaches, making them cleaner and safer for wildlife but also for people. It was a great experience which deepened the volunteers’ sense of responsibility towards nature, especially as they saw the tangible difference in reducing pollution and the positive impact they made on environmental sustainability and protecting marine life. Beach cleanup activities not only brought our volunteers closer as a group but also it was a reminder for them that small action, when done together, can lead to meaningful and significant change for a healthy environment.
One of the most cherished activities during this project was turtle monitoring. Few things are as fascinating as caring for turtle nests and witnessing the daily emergence of beautiful baby turtles. This year, we saw a total of 130 new hatchlings. Helping these newborns safely reach the ocean gave volunteers a deeper understanding of the turtles’ life cycle and the vital role they play in the marine ecosystem. We worked alongside the volunteers of the local animal protection association ENPA, sharing with them this amazing experience. The guidance of the experts of the Zoological Station of Napoli and the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella enriched us even more, learning from them all about the Caretta Caretta sea turtle, how to monitor the nest and manage their release according to specific protocols. This experience strenghten our connection to nature and gave us a sense of purpose in protecting these incredible creatures.
Cultural preservation is also one of Acarbio’s core objectives, and what better place to do that than in the beautiful community of Maiori? At the request of the municipality, our volunteers dedicated a total of 330 hours to showcasing the beauty of Maiori to hundreds of tourists and locals, highlighting the importance of preserving its culture and history. Volunteers managed Palazzo Mezzacapo, home to a stunning 18th-century fresco and a temporary contemporary art exhibition. Additionally, they were responsible for preserving and presenting the ancient abbey of Santa Maria de Olearia.
For us, in order to enjoy a volunteering experience at its fullest, it’s not only about having fun, but also about contributing to something important to people, such as helping the local congregation of nuns with the renovation of the kindergarten canteen, or helping renovating the Senior’s center when it needed it the most.
Unfortunately, every beautiful story will have an end. So, for us, this year has ended. But not before taking part in a ”goodbye party” organized by the nuns. They generously organized a pizza party in the convent’s courtyard garden with the collaboration of pizza makers Raffaele and Isidoro from Tramonti. In addition to the nuns and us, Vincenzo, Giulia, Francesco and Antonio who work for ACARBIO and long-term volunteers Hasan were also present.
This project has shown us how important collaboration and intercultural dialogue can be and what amazing things can surface from them. In a world beset by challenges, projects like these are meant to remind us that there is still hope and there will always be people willing to work for the greater good.
Until next year!
CREDITS: Lali, Valentin, Mauro, Sara