Good Practice Competition results for the Northern Hemisphere 2024 International Evaluation

As part of the Northern Hemisphere 2024 International Evaluation, Blue Flag International invited the National Operators to share Good Practice examples from their countries. The theme of this edition was ‘Environmental Education Activities’ that could be related to one of three categories: Climate Action, Biodiversity, and Pollution Prevention.

In total, 41 Good Practices have been submitted by 19 countries as part of the latest International Evaluation round. That included

• 23 Good Practices related to Pollution Prevention;

• 12 Good Practices related to Biodiversity;

• 6 Good Practices related to Climate Action.

The International Jury was then presented with a selection of Good Practices during its meeting on the 24th of April 2024, and evaluated the Good Practices within each category. In this process, relevance, creativity, adaptability, collaboration, and replicability were taken into consideration.

The final rankings are presented below, including the winning top 3 Good Practices from each category.

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Environmental Education Activites: Climate Action

©Galway County Council

3rd place - ‘Sea Shore Event’,
Galway County Council, Ireland

An open-for-all event to discover and celebrate the richness of Irish shores. Among other educational activities, a seashore bioblitz was organised. The participants were tasked to find and identify as many living species as possible on the beach and in the sea, learning about local biodiversity, the importance of dune systems, and the role of nature-based solutions in preventing coastal erosion.

©Bridge and B5 beach operator

2nd place - ‘Dam of Posidonia on the Buljarica Beach’,
Bridge and B5 beach operator - Mornar group doo, Montenegro

A water stream that comes down to this beach used to cause frequent floodings, washing out the sand and making the area narrower. In order to mitigate the situation, Posidonia seagrass was planted at the mouth of the stream. Local managers decided that this example could be used to draw tourists' attention to the risks and consequences of climate change. Therefore, information boards were created, along with an awareness-raising quiz that was organised in the beach facilities.

©Palanga Town Municipality

1st place - ‘Mobile Climate Museum’,
Palanga Town Municipality, Lithuania

Sea containers transformed into a mobile museum on climate change. The exhibition presented the causes and effects of climate change, issues related to agriculture, loss of biodiversity, the importance of nature in human life, and offered practical suggestions on how people can make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives. Thanks to its mobility, the museum visited 16 cities across the country, raising awareness on climate-friendly solutions.

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Environmental Education Activities:
BIODIVERSITY

©Municipality of Leiria

3rd place - ‘It’s in our hands’,
Leiria, Portugal

This project encouraged local youths to actively participate in nature conservancy activities. First, students learned about specific environmental issues relevant to the region, and the importance of fighting invasive species. Then, the participants were invited to a session of practical restoration activities, which included monitoring the weevil on the beach and controlling and eradicating the beach willow, herb pampas, and acacias. By having a chance to observe and actively contribute to reducing the adverse effects of invasive species in this territory, they improved their understanding of local ecosystems.

©Mayo County Council and Galway City Council

2nd place - ‘Protect Our Dunes’,
Mayo County Council and Galway City Council, Ireland

This initiative consisted of a series of 5 roadshow family events, aimed at raising local communities' awareness of how to protect dune systems in Northwest Ireland. Educational activities during the roadshow included Family Seashore Safaris and Q&A sessions with a Marine Biologist, teaching about dune systems and their biodiversity, as well as spreading knowledge of activities and behaviours that harm or protect the dunes. The project was supported by a social media campaign that promoted simple actions that everyone can take to protect the dunes.

©B7ar Bla Plastic 2023

1st place - ‘My booklet #Ocean without plastic’,
Morocco

To promote collective responsibility and educate about sustainable practices that preserve the Moroccan coastline, engaging booklets were designed. They were distributed at the Blue Flag awarded beaches, summer camps, schools, and to the scouts from the National Federation of Moroccan Scouting. Through numerous exercises and games, children could learn about marine biodiversity and endangered species. They were also able to discover what simple actions can contribute to protecting the beaches and their ecosystem.

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Environmental Education Activities:
Pollution Prevention

©ZOFEMAT Solidaridad Municipality

3rd place - ‘BASKET PET: prepare the shot, shoot,
and score for the environment"’,
ZOFEMAT Solidaridad Municipality, Mexico

Basket PET fosters community engagement while gamifying the process of plastic waste recycling. Implemented in 4 different sites, the containers were created with reused pallets. Users remove and dispose of plastic bottle lids, empty the liquid residue in a dedicated tank to avoid contamination, and toss the bottle in the basket to dispose of them in a unique and fun way.

©Port Stanley Municipality

2nd place - ‘Microplastics, recycling, and
Zero Waste education’,
Port Stanley Main Beach, Canada

To enhance pollution prevention and environmental stewardship, three interactive workshops were delivered to local elementary classes. During the first workshop, students learned about the impact of microplastics on local habitats and wildlife, the common sources of microplastic pollution, and bioaccumulation, as well as the importance of the Blue Flag award, ocean and lake clean-up initiatives, and water conservation. The second session engaged thestudents in an interactive Sorting Relay Activity. The province’s new solution and Producer-Led Recycling Program was also discussed. In the last workshop, the students explored the fundamentals of Zero Waste, and were challenged to predict the time it takes for common materials to break down in landfills.

©Şile Municipality

1st place - ‘Civic Amenity Centre Project’,
Sile Municipality, Türkiye

The Şile Municipality designed educational workshops that are carried out at the local Waste Collection Center. Each session starts with basic training on environmental awareness, zero waste projects, recycling, and residents´ civic duties in waste management. An interactive art workshop is delivered where the participants restore old pieces of furniture that are later donated to local people in need. At the end of a session, attendees visit the Waste Houses to improve their knowledge of correct waste disposal and segregation. This is part of a strategy to turn waste collection centres into accessible facilities for residents to learn about circular economy and waste management.

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We would like to congratulate our winners and thank all participants, as your Good Practices play a key role in the Blue Flag network, provide relevant inspiration and contribute to sharing knowledge on sustainability across sites all over the world.  

TÜRÇEV's and Blue Flag’s 30th Anniversary in Türkiye

Between 7th and 10th November 2023, one of our leading member organisation TÜRÇEV held a national event in honor of the 30th anniversary of the organisation and Blue Flag in Türkiye in Kocaeli, Turkiye with the support of the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality which is having nine Blue Flag beaches within the area of a metropolitan city.

During the Blue Flag 30th-year event, an International Panel discussion featured speakers from FEE Global (Johann Durand), FEE Spain-ADEAC (Virginia Yuste Abad), FEE Greece-HSPN (Dareia-Nefeli Vourdoumpa), and FEE Turkiye-TURCEV (Almila Kindan Cebbari). Following this, significant addresses were delivered by key representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.

The schedule included presentations showcasing best practices from coastal municipalities and local associations relating to Blue Flag criteria and the responsibilities of local supervisors. The attendees were representatives from 50 diverse coastal municipalities, including beach managers.

Among these presentations, two notable best practices were highlighted from Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. These included the monumental Izmit Bay Mud Removal Project area and the Ormanya Biodiversity Reserve and Educational Natural Life Park, representing significant environmental renovation and conservation efforts within the Turkish Republic.

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The event included a field trip to a Mud Removal Project taking place in Kocaeli Municipality, read more here:

Blue Flag’s 30th Anniversary in Kocaeli Municipality, Türkiye - Mud Removal Project - Best Practice Field Trip

International announcement of Blue Flag Awarded sites - Southern Hemisphere 2023/2024 season

The second Blue Flag International Jury meeting of 2023 took place this past September, and we’re proud to announce that 193 sites from 11 countries have received the Blue Flag award for the upcoming season in the Southern Hemisphere.

These sites join the previously awarded beaches, marinas, and tourism boats awarded by the International Jury in the Northern Hemisphere round that took place in April, for a total of 5038 sites awarded in 2023 (4205 beaches, 711 marinas, and 122 tourism boats).

We would like to also congratulate the winners of the Best Practice competition for the Southern Hemisphere 2023/2024 International Evaluation. The final ranking is published below.

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For the category “Accessibility / Access for all”, the ranking is as follows:

The Paradisus brand, managing awarded Blue Flag beaches “El Cortecito” and “Bávaro”, implemented am inclusion program, which gives work opportunities to people with hearing, visual or motor disabilities as well as elderly disabled people. The program seeks to incorporate people with disabilities in all areas of the brands operations. Paradisus also conducts sensitisation dynamics with the staff to create an environment conducive to their integration, such as sign language formations.

© Bávaro Paradisus Palma Real (Dominican Republic)

As part of a campaign of the presidency of the Dominican Republic on accessible tourism in the country, a series of informative videos were recorded. These highlight the importance of Blue Flag Beaches for the establishment of accessible tourism destinations. A recording team accompanied the Blue Flag National Jury, in order to illustrate that tourism destinations in the Dominican Republic are increasingly friendly for the transfer, movement, and enjoyment of people with disabilities.

© IDARD

In Praia Grande de Caravelas (Brazil), the site managers wish to give the possibility for people with impairments or disabilities to enjoy their experience at the beach with the adequate equipment, from the parking to the water. Amphibious wheelchairs and a bamboo ramp are available and allow a safe and accessible sea bath. The lifeguards offer their help to the beach users wishing to access the water. The municipality also provides special parking spots close to the beach facilities, as well as accessible toilets and showers.

© Praia Grande de Caravelas (Brazil)

These efforts collectively demonstrate a commitment to fostering accessibility and ensuring that everyone can enjoy beach destinations.

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Once again, Blue Flag International thanks its valuable institutional partners EEA, ENAT, EUCC, ICLEI, ICOMIA, ILS, UNEP, UNESCO, and WCA for sharing their expertise and for participating in the International Jury of the programme.

Sandbanks Restoration Education at Peró Beach, Brazil

The Peró coastal region, situated along the pristine Atlantic coast of Brazil, has long captivated the hearts of tourists. With its breathtaking vistas and pristine stretches of golden sand, it has become an attractive tourist destination. However, over the years, the influx of tourists has spurred the construction of more accommodations, residential complexes, and infrastructure, progressively encroaching upon the fragile coastal ecosystem. The sandbank vegetation areas, a vital component of this coastal landscape, have suffered the most from human pressures, further exacerbated by the speculative surge in real estate ventures and the expansion of livestock farming.

In response to these challenges, the Peró Residents Association, and the Veiga de Almeida University initiated a sandbank restoration project at Peró Beach with the support of the Blue Flag Peró site managers. The Blue Flag Programme and the Instituto Ambientes em Rede (IAR) have always encouraged Blue Flag-awarded sites to work in cooperation with local institutions to promote the preservation of areas surrounding awarded sites. This story from Peró Beach highlights the opportunities to engage local communities with environmental conservation and education by bringing together undergraduate students, professors, biologists, and technicians from Veiga de Almeida University (UVA) as well as public authorities.

Students surveying the study area.

The project began with a comprehensive survey of the study area guided by a biologist. Soil samples were collected and analysed for moisture content, organic matter content, FE³+ ion content, pH, and potassium and phosphate levels. Based on the findings, the team divided the study area into three distinct quadrants:

·       Quadrant 1 received a combination of sewage plant sludge (solid material remaining after the wastewater treatment process, typically consisting of organic and inorganic matter), landfill, and plant litter;

·       Quadrant 2 was treated with silt from a sewage plant, cake, and plant litter;

·       Quadrant 3 served as the control group and received only a single layer of landfill.

The landfill and plant litter (e.g., dry leaves) used in the experiment were sourced from the surrounding area.

Division of the study area into three quadrants.

Dry leaves to retain soil moisture.

In the initial phase of the study, legumes such as Phaseolus vulgaris (black beans) and Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea) were sown to facilitate nitrogen fixation. In the subsequent phase, native fruit-bearing plants like Myrciaria guaquiea (Guaquica) and Eugenia uniflora (pitanga) were planted to attract arthropods and birds, thereby enhancing the local food chain. Native plants were chosen for their symbiotic relationships with local fauna, as they produce fruits and seeds that are highly attractive to wildlife.

Regular monitoring was conducted, with the students measuring bean sprout monthly growth and weekly visits to the study area to document plant development through photographic records. Despite meticulous planning and execution, unforeseen challenges emerged during the project. An anthill encroached upon Quadrant 2, but the students successfully mitigated it using coffee grounds. However, the final setback was posed by domestic cattle, which, due to the inability to build a protective fence, freely entered the quadrants. These cattle consumed the newly developed leaves of the sprouts and trampled the ground, ultimately forcing the research to conclude in November 2021.

Soil samples laboratory analyses from the three distinct quadrants.

Overall, the project showcased the possibility of restoring degraded areas by stimulating biogeochemical processes without relying on chemical fertilizers. The addition of silt and sludge improved soil quality, particularly in Quadrants 1 and 2, where potassium and phosphate levels increased. The presence of arthropods attracted birds, further enhancing ecosystem processes. Additionally, the presence of dry leaves helped retain soil moisture and shield it from intense sunlight.

Despite its challenges, this project not only offers insights into a cost-effective approach to sludge management but also holds the promise of a method for restoring degraded sandbank vegetation areas. Moreover, involving students, provides an educational opportunity for the next generation of nature restorers, fostering students’ scientific and environmental observation skills.

Instituto Ambientes em Rede (IAR), acts as a FEE Member Organisation in Brazilfor the implementation of the Blue Flag programme, and of other FEE programmes, such as Green Key, Eco-Schools, Learning About Forests, and Young Reporters for the Environment.

To explore IAR's extensive work with conserving natural ecosystems and promoting socio-cultural development through environmental citizenship visit its site here.

For more information about the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and opportunities for involvement, please visit the following link.

This article is part of our UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration series, which highlights the projects and activities of FEE members that contribute to the UN Decade.