The world is going through some really testing times, offering some new messages for all of us. Messages that are not entirely negative. One simply has to note the stunning environmental recovery in the past 1 – 2 months due to the dramatic decrease of human activity.
In this context, we were all forced to alter our plans. At Aegean Rebreath we have kept working away from the field and dedicated this time to reorganizing and better preparing our team.
And since we’ve learned to share our efforts and goals with you, let’s see how we made the most of the first quarter of 2020:
- We have monitored the engagement of the Greek Parliament and authorities on the issues that we highlighted on the islands of Andros and Syros, with a view to resolving them
- We met with the Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Hatzidakis, and organized our joint efforts and the next steps for the cleaning of the area of Andros. We are coordinating with local and national authorities to assess and effectively address the problems in Syros
- We have signed or launched the signing of memorandums of cooperation with research and university institutions in order to ensure evidence based conclusions within our research program
- We are finalising the establishment of a Marine Litter Station in Syros, and we are launching the installation of similar stations on three other islands
- We identified and shared key issues with the Municipality of Athens and other operational actors, including potential challenges, in implementing the forthcoming directive on single use plastics
- We’ve expanded our school based learning program to target students at all grade levels
- We have built a new database to support our research work
- We have significantly upgraded our diving and research capabilities using donated equipment we received
- We have revised our operational procedures and developed new information tools for those following our work
- We have further defined and refined our communication management and volunteer activation
- We have created two documentaries (the publication of one is expected in the coming days) which showcase our work
- We have established working partnerships with Municipalities, other NGOs and local civil society in order to ensure the continuity and viability of our actions throughout Greece
This current situation finds us now ready and better organized to begin, even with a delay, one more demanding year.
And this, like everything else, would not happen without your help and support.
So a big thank you to all of you!
