A mid year update from Asociación Ondine
Now we’re officially half way through what is turning out to be the amazing year of 2018 and we want to share our latest news with you.
96,242 plastic objects counted during our first beach clean season of 2018
993 volunteers and around 1000 school students have participated in our Dos Manos initiatives, helping us to clean beaches all around the island while contributing to citizen science. Thank you all for joining! Find out what the most commonly found objects are in the table below, and please, think about what you can do to reduce your plastic consumption at work, at home and even onboard your yacht!
Although the numbers above are horrific, and the state of our seas critical, there are loads of good things happening lately and we have seen a huge increase of interest in marine conservation and plastic pollution this year, locally, nationally and globally! For example…
Dos Manos School Programme
During the spring semester of 2018 around 1000 students from 19 different schools from all over the island have removed and categorised over 45,000 plastic items from Mallorcan beaches while participating in our Dos Manos School Programme.
Visit Asociación Ondines Youtube channel to check out what it’s all about and hear what they have to say about it!
Our Educational Partners OceanCare have adopted the programme and have taken it to Italy, enabling us to expand our outreach while working together to achieve our common vision of clean and healthy seas.
The winner of the Changemakers At Sea competition are out at sea!
More than 120 students have participated in the first ever Changemakers At Sea competition, developed this year together with the marine research organisation Alnitak.
Through their own creative ideas the students have come up with amazing projects that help reduce plastic pollution. Awareness campaigns, mini documentaries, websites and artwork, video games, interactive storytelling, petitions and rap songs are just some of the ideas that the students have come up with.
The First place winners are a team of eight girls who selected the team name Lokahi Makai, Hawaiian for Unity towards the Sea. The girls have created social media channels to ignite a youth movement which aims to take action against plastic pollution and raise awareness in their community and beyond. So far they have organised beach cleans, debates, made an inspiring mini documentary and created a beautiful and poignant mosaic made out of plastic found on the beach.
Students from the winning teams are now experiencing the adventure of a lifetime, while working with scientists and studying the rich biodiversity of the Balearic Sea during a week long research expedition with the Alnitak team. Whales, dolphins and turtles are some of the most recent sightings!
Plastic Free Balearics
Our Partners Programme has changed name to Baleares Sense Plastic, meaning Plastic free Balearics. The BSP- team are working with around 40 local businesses and organisations from a broad variety of sectors to map their single use plastic consumption and search for alternative solutions that reduce plastic pollution. They include schools, hotels, bars and restaurants, yachts, event organisers, offices, town halls and markets. It’s a difficult challenge we have taken on, but it’s a necessary and inevitable step and we are impressed with the interest and dedication from these companies that are taking a stand and leading the path towards towards a brighter, single-use-plastic free future.
Marine Protected Areas
Whenever conditions allow, we try to get out to sea to continue our MPA work. Our focus this year has been on mapping and documenting the marine communities in the Formentor area.
We have received loads of support from local divers, fishermen, and the dive center Tramuntana Diving and Adventure. Their input and support is crucial to our work, and the long term results there of.
After summer, once we finish the field work, we will analyse all results and write a proposal for a new, science based MPA in the Formentor area. If accepted by the government, this fragile area will be given a chance to recover and once again thrive as is once used to.
Expedition time!
In June we joined the Alnitak crew onboard their beautiful research vessel Toftevaag for a magical expedition during which we got to observe some of our amazing inhabitants of the Balearic Sea, including dolphins, turtles, tuna and sperm whales. Thanks to Alnitak for an unforgettable experience! Stay tuned to see the results of this exploratory expedition!
New membership packages!
We have recently redesigned our membership packages! You can now support our work by signing up for the Sea Stars, Great Explorers and Family Packs! Learn more on our website, sign up and invite your friends to become part of the Asociación Ondine family!
Events round up
Sea Soirée, 18th of May
Our Sea Soirée fundraiser was a great success, raising 13,000€ (after costs) for Balearic Marine Conservation! Thank you to everyone who came, donated and supported the event! Visit our website to learn more about the projects that this money will go towards.
Night of San Juan #residuzero
Together with Es Recó de Sea Ideea and volunteer ambassadors we organised fun and waste free celebrations at eight different beaches all around the island.
In Palma alone, 10 tonnes less trash was produced compared to the previous year. Let’s do even better next year!
Soller to Soller, 24th of June
Cat and Valerie returned to Port Soller after paddle boarding around the entire coastline of Mallorca, completing their mission in just 24 days. They raised over £16,000 for Asociación Ondine. Massive thank you for your efforts ladies! Please support this amazing endeavour by donating here: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sollertosoller
A big welcome to our new Corporate Partners
We wish to welcome our most recent Corporate Partners who have joined us this year. It’s great to have you onboard!
We would also like to acknowledge our long term partners who have committed to another year of support. You can find the full list on our website www.asociacionondine.org. Without them it would not be possible for us to do the work we do.
A huge thank you from all of us for your continued commitment to marine conservation.
