After months of online celebrations, Worldrise Onlus celebrated its 10 years of activity for the protection of the sea with a moment of sharing and conviviality in Milan, Italy! The night, enriched by a sustainable DJ set, was the perfect opportunity to sincerely thank all the Ocean Positive People, including volunteers, partners and journalists, who in these 10 years have supported the association and its numerous projects for the protection and enhancement of the Blue Planet. Every drop counts and only together it will be possible to continue to make a huge difference for the sea!

Worldrise Onlus, thanks to the precious support of the artist Pongo 3D and Gucci, brought the sea to Milan, creating a 3D smog-absorbing mural that represents plastic pollution in the sea, going beyond simple visual perception. The street artwork, entitled “Under the Sea”, can be observed without glasses with 3D filters or with the help of red and blue lenses to immerse yourself totally in its waves. Together with the 28 murals already created by Worldrise as part of the Worldrise Walls project, “Under the Sea” contributes to absorbing as much city smog as 628 square meters of forest would do.

On Sunday 24th September, in Genoa, Liguria (Italy), Worldrise Onlus organised a day dedicated to the protection of the sea, as part of the 30×30 Italy campaign, which aims to protect 30% of the sea by 2030. The event was free and open to all, put together by both Worldrise, Earthink Festival, and the cultural associations Tekhnè and Alle Ortiche. Participants were welcomed to join in on a large clean up, listen to engaging talks with experts and participate in environmental awareness workshops. The aim of the event was to bring participants even closer to the sea and explain the importance of protecting the blue planet.

This summer Worldrise Onlus, thanks to the continuous support of Fastweb, has established two new SEATYs within the Marine Protected Areas of Capo Testa – Punta Falcone, in Sardinia, and Capo Milazzo, in Sicily. In these newly established Local Marine Education Areas, tourists and citizens are accompanied daily on a journey of discovery and protection of the sea and its biodiversity. Together with the first SEATY of Golfo Aranci (Sardinia), they represent an effective model of environmental protection, which will continue to be replicated in other areas of the Italian coasts. Learn more HERE.

As part of the 30×30 Italy campaign and thanks to the support of Fastweb, Worldrise Onlus launched a new project: AMP Academy, a toolkit that promotes the effective management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Well-managed MPAs allow the sea to return to its full strength and boost biodiversity, generating ecological, economic and social benefits for local communities. To facilitate this process, the AMP Academy offers all stakeholders 13 in-depth and totally free modules, in which experts from a variety of fields have made their resources and knowledge available to make it easier to understand how MPAs operate and ensure their effectiveness for nature and society. Discover more here.

Earlier this month Worldrise Onlus hosted Festivalmar, a four day festival devoted to celebrating the sea. From the 8th – 11th June in the Golfo Aranci, there were free activities for all ages to enjoy, from art, music, talks and more. The event, now in its second year, began on World Oceans Day, and successfully engaged both the local community, as well as tourists and individuals with a like-minded passion for ocean conservation. In line with the UN’s theme for this year’s World Day “Ocean Planet: the tide is turning”, the event brought to life knowledge of the marine environment, promoting the positive role anyone can play in its protection. The third edition of Festivalmar will take place in 2024, continuing the celebration of the sea and highlighting its importance.

Worldrise Onlus ongoing project AMPlification is intended to make citizens and the local communities aware of the importance of the Italian Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), areas of sea where biodiversity of protected with a view to sustainable development. The most recent edition has been developed with the support of the Ariston Group in Liguria, Italy. The area lies within the Bergeggi MPA, and here a total of 60 students were involved in lessons and bio-walks on the beach where they discovered marine biodiversity in action. Children were able to learn about the Blue Planet and how to preserve its treasures under the guidance of the marine biologists of the non-profit organization, along with parents, grandparents, and members of the local community.

Over three days of diving in the Marine Protected Area of Portofino, in Liguria, Worldrise Onlus, thanks to the support of AXA Cuori in Azione and the collaboration of Reef Alert Network and Portofino MPA, was able to complete an operation to retrieve fishing lines lost at sea. In the depths of the MPA, fishing gear had trapped a forest of gorgonians; as a result of this operation, the octocorals will be able to thrive once more. Thanks to a circular economy project, new life will also be given to the recovered fishing lines.

In celebration of this year’s World Oceans Day (8th June), Worldrise Onlus are hosting the second edition of Festivalmar. Over four days, from June 8 – 11th, there will be an opportunity to celebrate the sea and its importance for our existence. This year, Festivalmar will be held in Golfo Aranci (SS), Sardinia, with many land and water based activities for locals and tourists to enjoy and come together with the united mission to learn how we can all best preserve, protect and enable our ocean to flourish. Click here for the latest updates.

Worldrise is celebrating its 10th anniversary! Starting in 2013 with only two projects and a few collaborators, but a huge amount of enthusiasm aimed at making a difference for the sea. In these 10 years the association has grown a lot, contributing to enhancing the perception of the importance of the ocean for citizens, public and private sector. 10 years have meant a lot to Worldrise and this milestone will be celebrated throughout the year, alongside all the people who made it possible. Click here to find out more about how to support Worldrise.