Marine Conservation in Portugal

Planet

The project
This project is all about removing rubbish from the ocean. Volunteers dive each day to remove debris such as fishing gear, plastics, domestic rubbish and tyres from the ocean bed and reefs. To date, almost 3000kgs of debris has been collected from the ocean, and marine life is starting to flourish in areas that have been cleared.

Your accommodation
The accommodation that you will stay in is very sustainable. All furnishings are made out of recycled produce such as pallets. Fresh produce is purchased from a company that sells plastic free items that have been rejected by supermarkets because they don't look quite perfect. Domestic essentials such as washing up liquid and toilet rolls are purchased from Portuguese suppliers who do not use plastic. Any products that unavoidably contain plastic will be shredded so that they can be used in making further produce. The accommodation sells plastic-free deodorant, plastic-free toothbrushes and other plastic-free items. There are solar panels on the accommodation.

Protecting the world
We are passionate about encouraging our travellers to be kind to the environment as they travel. Each participant receives advice about how to care for the environment whilst they are away. This includes water usage, how to avoid single use plastic, and electricity usage.

We insist that all participants bring their own water bottles when they travel with us, and clean free water is always available. We have even created a water bottle that can be purchased before departure and encourage people to use it at all stages of their journey including at the airport, on flights and whilst on their project. We are striving for all of our projects to be free of single use plastic.

People

Helping the local economy
The project also helps the local economy. Our participants spend money on food and leisure; rent is paid to the local landlord. Contractors who help with maintenance of the property have often come from life on the streets. They have been helped by charities to train them up in DIY and subsequently gain employment. Where possible, all maintenance is done by people who have lived on the streets or suffered hardships.
Where possible, money is invested in the local economy and local staff are employed. We are passionate about supporting the local community, as without them, our projects could not run.

Cultural sensitivity
Our pre-departure briefing includes a special session entitled ‘Responsible Tourism’ where we discuss cultural differences and sensitivities as well as advising volunteers on appropriate conduct. People a briefed on what is considered polite in terms of eating, greeting and dressing. It is encouraged that all volunteers learn some Portuguese prior to departure, and they get a helping hand whilst out there as well.