Southern Hemisphere

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Rehabilitation of wild orchids (India) [2025]

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Country: India

Site: Kappad Blue Flag Beach

Target: Tourists and visitors, Practitioners, Local communities and residents, Families and Kids

Short Description

In 2025, the Kappad Blue Flag Beach in Kerala launched a biodiversity initiative to rescue and rehabilitate endangered wild orchids displaced by highway development. Led by DTPC Kozhikode with the Malabar Botanical Garden, hundreds of native orchid species were carefully transplanted onto host trees within the beach’s protected ecosystem, with each plant geotagged for monitoring. Local staff and communities actively participated, turning the site into a living conservation classroom that links biodiversity with education and tourism. The project, inaugurated by Kerala’s Tourism Minister, showcased policy-level support and gained wide publicity, encouraging replication at other tourist destinations. By combining scientific expertise, community engagement, and the Blue Flag framework, it stands as a replicable model for conserving biodiversity in ecologically sensitive coastal regions.

Goals

  • To rescue and restore native wild orchids threatened by development, while promoting biodiversity conservation, community involvement, and eco-education at Kappad Blue Flag Beach.

Reproducibility

  • Lessons Learned: Timely action can prevent habitat loss, while empowering local communities fosters stewardship of natural heritage. Linking conservation with education and ecotourism boosts sustainability, and collaboration with academia, government, and international standards ensures credibility and scalability.

  • Reproducibility: The model is replicable in other ecologically sensitive regions, with success depending on scientific expertise, institutional collaboration, accurate development mapping, and strong community involvement. It serves as a good practice for biodiversity conservation in areas affected by infrastructure.

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Sustainable paths: Inclusion and Nature(Brazil) [2025]

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Country: Brazil

Site: Praia do Patacho

Target: Practitioners, Local communities and residents

Short Description

The activity “Sustainable Paths: Inclusion and Nature”, held on April 28, 2025, at Sítio Vale da Mata during the Blue Flag Program’s Global Action Days, brought together CAPS users, artisans, and local residents for an ecological trail and clay craft workshop. Participants planted cocoa seedlings to support reforestation and observed the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest, fostering environmental awareness and a stronger bond with nature. The clay workshop offered a creative, sensory experience in connection with local artisanal traditions, promoting mental health, cultural appreciation, and social inclusion. Together, these activities reinforced sustainability, community integration, and a sense of belonging to the territory. The initiative was guided by a methodology of dialogical and inclusive environmental education, emphasizing participation, knowledge exchange, and accessible communication. Local residents highlighted the importance of reforestation with native species and the benefits of contact with nature for well-being, while artisans shared traditional practices that encouraged creativity and cultural pride. Through collective planting, hands-on learning, and open dialogue, participants were invited to see nature as a space of healing, learning, and inclusion. The activity ultimately combined environmental care with social support, demonstrating how community-based actions can strengthen both ecosystems and mental health.

Goals

  • Caring for nature also means caring for yourself and others. By planting a tree and walking through the forest, we strengthen our bond with the planet and the community.

  • Social inclusion involves valuing the territory, local culture and popular knowledge. The clay workshop showed that everyone can create, express themselves and belong.

  • Small collective actions generate great environmental and human transformations. Preserving biodiversity and promoting well-being go hand in hand towards sustainability.

Reproducibility

  • The “Sustainable Paths: Inclusion and Nature” activity combined reforestation and cultural exchange by planting cocoa seedlings and hosting a clay workshop, promoting ecosystem recovery, creativity, and social inclusion. It strengthened community ties, highlighted the mental health benefits of nature, and encouraged sustainable practices that can be replicated in other communities.

Oyster Farm Visit (Brazil) [2025]

Country: Brazil

Site: Late Clube de Santa Catarina-Centro

Target: Practitioners, Professionals, Local communities and residents

Short Description

The Blue Flag Program Management Committee of the Iate Clube de Santa Catarina organized a technical visit to an oyster farm in Santo Antônio de Lisboa, Florianópolis, to explore the links between mariculture, the environment, and climate change. Santa Catarina, Brazil’s largest oyster producer, relies heavily on environmental stability, yet oyster farmer Leonardo highlighted rising mortality rates caused by El Niño, connecting the climate crisis directly to economic losses. Through direct engagement with farmers, observation of cultivation structures,and technical discussions, participants gained insight into how climate variations affect ecosystems, livelihoods, and food security.

To extend the impact, an educational video will share the lessons learned with the wider community, positioning mariculture as both a key element of the ocean economy and a symbol of climate urgency.

The activity served as an effective awareness-raising method and will be replicated as a model for future educational actions.

Goals

  • Understand the connection between climate change and the impacts on mariculture.

  • Value the oyster production chain as part of the coastal economy.

  • Encourage sustainable attitudes based on knowledge acquired in the field.

Reproducibility

  • The activity resulted in strong involvement among the members of the Management Committee and reinforced the Yacht Club's role in promoting coastal sustainability. The technical visit has already directly mobilized more than 40 participants, including staff and employees.

  • The message now has the potential to reach thousands of people on the club's digital platforms.

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Greener Iguaba Project (Brazil) [2025]

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Country: Brazil

Site: Praia de Ubás

Target: Tourists and visitors, Practitioners, Local communities and residents, Families and Kids

Short Description

The Greener Iguaba Project is an urban afforestation initiative in Iguaba Grande (RJ) that seeks to restore degraded areas, value local biodiversity, and promote environmental education. Launched in April 2025, its first stage involves planting 2,200 seedlings—mainly native species like Aroeira—across neighbourhoods and along the Araruama Lagoon. The work includes soil preparation, organic fertilization, hydrogel use, irrigation, and technical monitoring, contributing to the conservation of fauna, especially birds, while raising public awareness of the ecological and social benefits of afforestation. Beyond tree planting, the project uses environmental education as a central tool by engaging residents in participatory planting, distributing seedlings, and demonstrating proper techniques for planting and care. Activities are tied to symbolic dates such as Earth Day to expand outreach, while integrating sustainability into the city’s daily life and tourist spaces. This hands-on approach fosters community involvement, strengthens connections with nature, and highlights the importance of urban afforestation for both people and ecosystems.

Goals

  • Increase urban vegetation coverage with native species.

  • Promote environmental education and community awareness.

  • Contribute to improving environmental quality and urban health.

Reproducibility

  • In the first phase, 2,200 seedlings were planted, 500 per neighborhood and 200 along the lagoon shore. The action resulted in greater urban shading, creation of habitats for birds and pollinators, and greater dust retention on the roads. The choice of native species favored ecological balance and plant resistance. The social impact is also significant: residents began to actively participate in the care of the seedlings, and there was an increase in the positive perception of urban greenery. The project contributes to the mitigation of heat islands and to the control of erosion and flooding.