Blue Flag Environmental Activities 2021

1|2021 Blue Flag Environmental Educational A ctivities

The Blue Flag Environmental and Educational Activities for 2021 were carefully planned and partly organised by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA). Initially, several meetings were held with different groups including schools, drama acting groups, mother and children groups as well as a number of people from the general public. The meetings focused on which beaches were the most ideal for the activities and which parties should be involved for the total success of each activity. Information centres, environmental visitor centres and nature reserves managed by NGO’s were informed of the dates of such activities within their respective coastal venues.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of physical activities and the number of participants was limited. As per the Health Authorities’ advice, most of the activities were held virtually or in small groups.

This was made known to the public via a notice which was attached to every Information Board on each beach (as can be seen in the picture below).

1. COVID-19 Activity Sign

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Table of Contents Bugibba Perched Beach .......................................................................................................................... 5 1.

Story Telling and Crafts Activity .................................................................................................. 6

2.

The Human Impact – Drama Workshop ..................................................................................... 7

3.

Reducing Paper Usage ................................................................................................................ 8

4.

Beach Photography ..................................................................................................................... 9

5.

Ecology Walk and Photography ................................................................................................ 10

6.

Make a Pledge Campaign .......................................................................................................... 11

7.

Information Tour ....................................................................................................................... 12

8.

Photography Online Workshop – Competition......................................................................... 13

Fond Ghadir .......................................................................................................................................... 14 1.

Story Telling and Crafts Activity ................................................................................................ 15

2.

Theatre Workshops ................................................................................................................... 16

3.

Online Workshop – Ray Species................................................................................................ 17

4.

Underwater Archaeology .......................................................................................................... 18

5.

Underwater Creatures .............................................................................................................. 19

6.

Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper and DIY Hand Puppets ................................................ 20

7.

Photography Online Workshop – Competition......................................................................... 21

8.

Drawing Competition ................................................................................................................ 22

Ghadira Bay ........................................................................................................................................... 23 1.

The Effects of Plastic on Marine Life – Drawing Activity .......................................................... 24

2.

The importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling - Paper Mache Activity .......................... 25

3.

Cigarette Butts Free Beaches .................................................................................................... 26

4.

Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets ................................................... 27

5.

Photography Online Workshop – Competition......................................................................... 28

6.

Drawing Competition ................................................................................................................ 29

7.

Information Tour ....................................................................................................................... 30

8.

Beaver Scout Group – Blue Flag Activity ................................................................................... 31

Ghajn Tuffieha....................................................................................................................................... 32 1.

Let’s Go Paperless - Digital Art .................................................................................................. 33

2.

Waste Separation Game ........................................................................................................... 34

3.

Beach Sand Formation .............................................................................................................. 35

4.

Cigarette Butts Free Beaches .................................................................................................... 36

5.

Photography Online Workshop – Competition......................................................................... 37

6.

Drawing Competition ................................................................................................................ 38

7.

Information Tour ....................................................................................................................... 39

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8.

Turtle Rescue Order Game........................................................................................................ 40

9.

Micro-plastics, clean-up and waste separation ........................................................................ 41

Golden Bay ............................................................................................................................................ 42 1.

The Importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling ............................................................... 43

2.

Clean Up and Sand Shifting ....................................................................................................... 44

3.

Photography Walk..................................................................................................................... 45

4.

Photography Online Workshop - Competition ......................................................................... 46

5.

Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets ................................................... 47

6.

Drawing Competition ................................................................................................................ 48

7.

Information Tour ....................................................................................................................... 49

8.

Turtle Release ........................................................................................................................... 50

Qawra Point .......................................................................................................................................... 51 1.

Research and Creative Writing Workshop ................................................................................ 52

2.

Saltpans – Creating Art with Coloured Salt ............................................................................... 53

3.

Plein-Air – Drawing Activity ...................................................................................................... 54

4.

Clean Up Walk ........................................................................................................................... 55

5.

Beach Photography ................................................................................................................... 56

6.

Visit at the Malta National Aquarium ....................................................................................... 57

7.

Photography Online Workshop - Competition ......................................................................... 58 58

8.

Information Tour ....................................................................................................................... 59

St. George’s Bay .................................................................................................................................... 60 1.

Story Telling and Crafts Activities ............................................................................................. 61

2.

Let’s go Paperless – Digital Art .................................................................................................. 62

3.

Music with Trash ....................................................................................................................... 63

4.

Photography Online Workshop - Competition ......................................................................... 64

5.

Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets ................................................... 65

6.

Drawing Competition ................................................................................................................ 66

7.

Information Tour ....................................................................................................................... 67

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BLUE FLAG ACTIVITIES Bugibba Perched Beach 1.

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Story Telling and Crafts Activity The Human Impact – Drama Workshop Reducing Paper Usage Beach Photography Ecology Walk and Photography Make a pledge campaign Information Tour Photography Online Workshop – Competition

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1. Story Telling and Crafts Activity In this activity, preschool children were encouraged to create puppets of crabs and fish. Prior to this activity, we gave their parents the required templates enabling the children to create the puppets at home. We also asked their parents to vote for their favourite Blue Flag beach and it turned out that the majority voted for the Bugibba Perched beach. During the activity, besides showing the participants pictures of the beach, we also filled a small pool with water and invited the targeted group of children to grab plastic taps from the floor and create the homes of their crab and fish puppets. Later, they were provided with the puppet board and the little ones played peek-a-boo with their peers.

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2. The Human Impact – Drama Workshop During this activity which targeted teens, we watched highlights of Netflix documentaries ‘’Seaspiracy’’ and ‘’Our Planet’’ by David Attenborough. The viewings aided the participants to fully grasp the importance of the topic we worked on. For this activity we focused on Bugibba Perched beach which most participants like visiting. We had a discussion on how the beach was transformed from a rocky to a sandy beach and the participants expressed their own opinions about this matter. The speaker assured the participants that the beach was planned to be totally reversible and should the need arise, the rocky coastal stretch will return to its original geological form. In a physical acting workshop, the participants replicated movements of fish, jellyfish, crabs, octopus and turtles. They were instructed to pretend to experience the difficulties these species endure due to our deplorable behaviour such as being tangled in a fish net and suffocating in a plastic bag. Each movement required a different physical activity.

We also discussed that physical activities aid humans to successfully lead an active and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, such lifestyle should also reflect a cleaner environment since no one would want to jog on a littered beach/street.

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3. Reducing Paper Usage This activity’s focus was the concept of reducing and reusing paper. Our speaker initiated the session by suggesting ways to go paper less such as avoiding using junk mail, reducing printing, subscribing to online magazine portals and using electronic storage. Then participants were asked to visit the ‘Friends of the Earth’ website which brought awareness about 34 different ways of how an old newspaper can be stored and reused. During the last part of the session, professional artists provided participants with step by step instructions guiding them on how to create a cut paper collage of the Bugibba Perched Beach out of packaging boxes, pre-used paper, old newspapers and other reusable material.

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4. Beach Photography Together with a group of students from ‘A4A’ (a teens group from central part of Malta,) we participated in a Blue Flag activity at the Bugibba Perched beach. During the first part of the session, an instructor guided the participants through mobile photography techniques, helping them to take good quality and compelling photos. Whilst taking photos, participants admired the harmonious colours along the sand contrasting the blue sky. However, the litter left by a number of beachgoers also struck the participants’ eyes. Afterwards, they were urged to draw the scene based on either their surroundings or the photos they took.

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5. Ecology Walk and Photography A group of acting students were asked to join us for a Flora and Fauna expedition walk between two blue Flag beaches at the north east coast namely; ‘Ta’ Fra Ben’ and ‘Bugibba Perched Beach’. The participants were amazed by how in such a small country, one could find almost 4500 floral and farnal species, 85 of which are endemic as well as a significant number of Maltese wall lizards (Podarcis fifolensis) along with butterflies and ants. The participants particularly enjoyed taking artistic close up photos of a friendly grasshopper. Later, the students were encouraged to participate in a physical activity session within a public gym. It was noted that the equipment in the public gym does not require any electrical supply and therefore it is completely environmentally friendly. In light of this, it was concluded that a healthy lifestyle is beneficial to both humans and the environment.

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6. Make a Pledge Campaign Beach cleanliness can be achieved through the collective effort of citizens and tourists. The participants were provided with a canvas and a permanent marker and they were asked to write their own pledge of commitment in taking care of the beach environment. Beachgoers were also asked to write their pledges. Following this, there was a drawing activity which focused on the activities that the beachgoers typically engage in. The activity speaker raised a discussion about the possible key actions to enhance the sea quality including reducing pollutants and waste and conserving water and fishing responsibly.

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7. Information Tour To conclude the blue flag activities, we toured all the beaches where the artworks of the winners of drawing and photography competitions together with crafts created during the sessions were exhibited. Our representatives explained to passers-by and beach-goers the concept of Blue Flag and the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the certification.

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8. Photography Online Workshop – Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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Fond Ghadir 1.

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Story Telling and Crafts Activity Theatre Workshops Online Workshop - Ray Species Underwater Archaeology Underwater Creatures Summer Schools - DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets Photography Online Workshop - Competition Drawing Competition Information Tour

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1. Story Telling and Crafts Activity Children love puppet making so this activity focused on creating something which children can play with as well as having a keepsake once the session has ended. Before they started to draw, the children enjoyed shouting out places and beaches where they love to swim and the most popular one was Fond Ghadir in Sliema. Despite their young age, they outlined the importance of leaving the beaches clean so other children can enjoy it after they leave. For the drawing part, the kids were provided with a template printed on a pre-used paper, and the importance of reusing was highlighted. After finishing the colourful fish and crab puppets, the participants were provided with a puppet board and they created interesting stories about a superhero crab who was cleaning all beaches with his special claws.

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2. Theatre Workshops Together with Freespirit Acting group, a theatre workshop was conducted at Fond Ghadir.

Firstly, the participants were asked to have a stroll and observe the environment around them.

Amongst other things, the participants spotted some litter as well as a family of crabs. A discussion took place regarding the fact that people from different cultures, religions and age groups visit beaches for several different reasons. Some visitors enjoy reading a book, children engage in sand playing activities and, like us, some choose to conduct a theatre workshop.

Hence, we all should take personal responsibilities to keep beaches clean for others to enjoy and unwind at. The theme of the workshop revolved around this subject. We discussed how sea creatures are being adversely affected by non-biodegradable packaging and other items which are used on a daily basis.

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3. Online Workshop – Ray Species This online session focused on ray species which have been found in the Maltese waters. Since the session was held online, we were able to go through different images of different rays ranging from Atlantic Torpedo Ray/ Electric Ray, Spotted Torpedo Ray/ Marbled Electric Ray, Common Torpedo Ray, to Roughtail Stingray, Common Stingray, Giant Devil Ray/ Devil Fish.

This information was available on the Sharlab Malta organisation’s website. Afterwards, participants were invited to create an artwork related to their favourite ray species.

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4. Underwater Archaeology At the beginning of August, an interesting online session was conducted with Professor Timmy Gambin who is the Head of underwater archaeology within Heritage Malta. The session was open to everyone and was widely promoted on social media. The session focused on the underwater archaeological sites including one of the oldest shipwrecks in the world as well as other artefacts from WW1 and WW2. Professor Gambin, together with Vanessa Ciantar prepared an informative presentation comprising several videos and 3D renderings of some of the sites. An art activity concluded the session.

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5. Underwater Creatures This creative writing workshop was conducted in collaboration with Freespirit Acting group.

We focused on creating a performance out of an interestingly developed script. Our main focus were the creatures which live on rocky beaches such as those in Fond Ghadir Bay. The participants and the actors were invited to create different tableaux based on such species which include fish, reptiles, sponges, Cnidarians and Echinoderms. (A tableau is a static scene which comprises of one or more diligently posed actors or models. The actors, who are usually in costume and handle props related to the subject matter, remained stationary and silent.

They may also be theatrically lit against an appropriate scenic backdrop). Amongst other scenarios, through physical theatre we attempted to recreate situations where fish and other creatures are stuck to a fishing line.

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6. Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper and DIY Hand Puppets This year’s Blue Flag Activities engaged an attractive number of summer school students from five different summer schools located in villages where the blue flag beaches are located.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the majority of activities ran smoothly through pre-filmed tutorials. Participants created puppets of fish and crabs out of pre-used paper which enabled them to create several stories related to the creatures and other sea animals. Apart from the craft video tutorial, the pre-filmed session informed participants about the list of beaches which achieved blue flag certificates and the eligibility criteria for the certification. Another session focused on encouraging children to create recyclable paper where the representatives explained the steps and highlighted how by using rough, pre-used paper, a sieve and some cloths, the participants will be able to create their own paper on which they can express themselves artistically. Furthermore, the pre-filmed session included an animated video outlining the process of paper production and its effects on the environment. A video differentiating the paper which can be recycled was shown to stress the importance of such activity. All of the latter mentioned activities were presented to the five summer schools’ localities where Malta’s Blue Flag beaches are situated.

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7. Photography Online Workshop – Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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8. Drawing Competition Summer drawing competitions are very popular with the majority of children. This inspired us to create an activity aimed at a wide range of childhood age groups. The theme was named ‘’Together for a cleaner sea’’ where a poster promoting the competition was designed and shared on multiple social media platforms with the aim to reach a wider audience. The Foundation of Educational Services shared the posters in all the summer schools, girl guides and scouts’ groups who shared the poster with their members. The chosen artworks were displayed in all blue flag beaches with the aim of promoting beach and sea cleanliness.

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Ghadira Bay 1.

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The Effects of Plastic on Marine Life - Drawing Activity The Importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling Cigarette Butts Free Beaches Summer Schools - DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets Photography Online Workshop - Competition Drawing Competition Information Tour Beavers Scout Group – Blue Flag Activity

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1. The Effects of Plastic on Marine Life – Drawing Activity An art lessons group based in Birkirkara invited us to participate in an interesting art activity.

Prior to the session, participants were encouraged to search for inspirational images.

Participants brought images of interesting poster designs and shocking images exhibiting the devastating effects of plastic on marine life. This research paved the way for an interesting discussion about biodiversity linked to Ghadira Bay. Whilst not everyone knew about biodiversity and its effect on the food chain, others mentioned how the endangerment of a species of fish is affecting the population of other creatures like wild birds. Later, participants were encouraged to create artwork which inspired them as a result of the discussion.

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2. The importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling - Paper Mache Activity This Papier-Mache session focused on the event which occurred on the 22nd September 2020 where 16 turtle eggs successfully hatched at Ghadira Bay. Firstly, we screened a video which was published by ERA – Environment and Resources showing how the event unfolded.

Afterwards, there was a discussion which highlighted the importance of keeping the natural habitat of these creatures as intact as possible since turtles tend to lay eggs more frequently in such environments. An informative and educational quiz with a turtle theme also took place.

The participants watched a papier-mache tutorial which guided them on how to create a turtle craft out of old newspapers which were provided to them. The participants’ work was added to a collection of turtle crafts and eventually artistically installed in all blue flag beaches around Malta as part of a campaign against the littering of cigarette buds in beaches.

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3. Cigarette Butts Free Beaches Beach littering is an ever-growing concern for everyone especially for children who consider beaches as safe playgrounds. Through an online presentation, children participated in a short quiz related to waste pollution. The main concern was cigarette butt litter which is a major issue at our beaches. We looked at different local and international campaigns aimed at raising awareness against beach waste pollution. Volunteers from ‘’Saving Our Blue’’ which is a campaign launched by the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning (MECP), collected 13kg of cigarette butts, and 3.8kg of microplastics. The campaigns’ goal was to educate and encourage the public to stop littering, reduce waste and opt to use alternative products rather than single-use plastics. Despite this effort, the participants explained how they still ended up removing cigarette butts every time they built sand castles.

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4. Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets This year’s Blue Flag Activities engaged an attractive number of summer school students from five different summer schools located in villages where the blue flag beaches are located.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the majority of activities ran smoothly through pre-filmed tutorials. Participants created puppets of fish and crabs out of pre-used paper which enabled them to create several stories related to the creatures and other sea animals. Apart from the craft video tutorial, the pre-filmed session informed participants about the list of beaches which achieved blue flag certificates and the eligibility criteria for the certification. Another session focused on encouraging children to create recyclable paper where the representatives explained the steps and highlighted how by using rough, pre-used paper, a sieve and some cloths, the participants will be able to create their own paper on which they can express themselves artistically. Furthermore, the pre-filmed session included an animated video outlining the process of paper production and its effects on the environment. A video differentiating the paper which can be recycled was shown to stress the importance of such activity. All of the latter mentioned activities were presented to the five summer schools’ localities where Malta’s Blue Flag beaches are situated.

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5. Photography Online Workshop – Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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6. Drawing Competition Summer drawing competitions are very popular with the majority of children. This inspired us to create an activity aimed at a wide range of childhood age groups. The theme was named ‘’Together for a cleaner sea’’ where a poster promoting the competition was designed and shared on multiple social media platforms with the aim to reach a wider audience. The Foundation of Educational Services shared the posters in all the summer schools, girl guides and scouts’ groups who shared the poster with their members. The chosen artworks were displayed in all blue flag beaches with the aim of promoting beach and sea cleanliness.

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7. Information Tour To conclude the blue flag activities, we toured all the beaches where the artworks of the winners of drawing and photography competitions together with crafts created during the sessions were exhibited. Our representatives explained to passers-by and beach-goers the concept of Blue Flag and the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the certification.

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8. Beaver Scout Group – Blue Flag Activity Due to COVID-19, an activity for a scout group took place at their premises. The activity focused on Ghadira Bay and started off with an Ice-Breaking session where the participants mentioned different aspects of beach use. This led to a discussion about Blue Flag beaches and what criteria and facilities are required to achieve the certification. Later on, the participants learned about waste management practices where they were shown microplastics. This led to the participants engaging in a pledge activity where they pledged to collect microplastics when they visit sandy beaches. When a workshop is not done directly on the beach, there should be a pledge in favour of a beach action and therefore the participants will be bringing the microplastics collected in summer to the scouts premises at the end of their summer holidays.

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Ghajn Tuffieha 1.

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Let's Go Paperless - Digital Art Waste Separation Game Beach Sand Formation Cigarette Butts Free Beaches Photography Online Workshop Drawing Competition Information Tour Turtle Rescue Order Game Micro-plastics, clean-up and waste separation

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1. Let’s Go Paperless - Digital Art An art lesson was organised prior to the art competition which a number of children participated in. The session was promoted on Visit Malta's notice boards on different beaches.

The session focused on environmental sustainability, renewable energy and various methods on how one can practice sustainable energy use. We also discussed methods of how litter can be re-used for a different purpose. We also agreed that donating unused items decreases consumptions and how going paperless is also beneficial for the environment. Prior to the activity, the participants were guided by their tutor to seek appropriate inspiration which led them to create enticing paperless artworks using digital art via a freeware available on the internet.

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2. Waste Separation Game Sand beaches are endeared by most children and their guardians. The focus for the first activity was put on ‘Ghajn Tuffieha’ which is one of the most popular sandy beaches on the island.

Firstly, a video of the picturesque waves of the beach was screened which was followed by a waste separation activity. The participants who put the various litter in the right bin, were provided with dices which gave them a pass to take part in a life size game of snakes and ladders. The activity’s goal was to incentivise children to perform well in the activity in order to bring awareness of how invaluable their input is in safeguarding the environment.

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3. Beach Sand Formation Sand sculptures are frequently featured in numerous competitions around the world. This was the inspiration to create an activity where participants were required to create artwork through different material found in the sand. The participants isolated small shell pebbles from the fine sand grains through a sieving method. The partakers created interesting artistic landscapes from the material they found in the sand. During the session, participants learned about the criteria which make beaches eligible for a blue flag certificate as well as geological information about the formation of sand.

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4. Cigarette Butts Free Beaches Beach littering is an ever-growing concern for everyone especially for children who consider beaches as safe playgrounds. Through an online presentation, children participated in a short quiz related to waste pollution. The main concern was cigarette butt litter which is a major issue at our beaches. We looked at different local and international campaigns aimed at raising awareness against beach waste pollution. Volunteers from ‘’Saving Our Blue’’ which is a campaign launched by the Ministry for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning (MECP), collected 13kg of cigarette butts, and 3.8kg of microplastics. The campaigns’ goal was to educate and encourage the public to stop littering, reduce waste and opt to use alternative products rather than single-use plastics. Despite this effort, the participants explained how they still ended up removing cigarette butts every time they built sand castles.

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5. Photography Online Workshop – Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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6. Drawing Competition Summer drawing competitions are very popular with the majority of children. This inspired us to create an activity aimed at a wide range of childhood age groups. The theme was named ‘’Together for a cleaner sea’’ where a poster promoting the competition was designed and shared on multiple social media platforms with the aim to reach a wider audience. The Foundation of Educational Services shared the posters in all the summer schools, girl guides and scouts’ groups who shared the poster with their members. The chosen artworks were displayed in all blue flag beaches with the aim of promoting beach and sea cleanliness.

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7. Information Tour To conclude the blue flag activities, we toured all the beaches where the artworks of the winners of drawing and photography competitions together with crafts created during the sessions were exhibited. Our representatives explained to passers-by and beach-goers the concept of Blue Flag and the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the certification.

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8. Turtle Rescue Order Game In collaboration with Nature Trust Malta, we organised an activity for primary school children.

During this activity, a demonstration took place which outlined how turtles are harmed by fishing nets, lines and hooks as well as ingesting plastic. The demonstration was then followed by an order game which involved teamwork, discussion and presenting the order in front of the rest of the participants.

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9. Micro-plastics, clean-up and waste separation Primary students participated in this activity where awareness was raised regarding waste management practices. The participants were already familiar with such practices; however, they were still somewhat surprised with the amount of microplastics in the sand and at times, even on the surface. There was no need for digging and the resources used were very good and adequate for the number of participants. Amongst other things, the participants used sand sifting equipment to pick up cigarette butts and microplastics from the beach.

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Golden Bay

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The Importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling Clean Up and Sand Shifting Photography Walk Photography Online Workshop - Competition Summer Schools - DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets Drawing Competition Information Tour Turtle Release

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1. The Importance of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling We started this session by screening a video showing Loggerhead Turtles hatching at Golden Bay which led to a discussion focusing on how our waste is badly affecting turtles. Our speaker highlighted the importance of effective waste management and its benefits to marine life.

Later, we provided the children with a batch of old newspapers where we emphasised the importance of reusing and storing items for future use rather than disposing of immediately.

The participants started to work on their activity by creating a papier-mache mix. This activity was held over two days in order to have enough time for the papier-mache turtle to dry before we could proceed with the painting activity. Eventually the children’s painted turtles were displayed in all Blue Flag beaches in Malta adjoining a banner encouraging the public to keep turtles safe.

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2. Clean Up and Sand Shifting An inspired group of people participated in a drawing session held at Golden bay which offers picturesque scenery. The participants were encouraged to apply sunblock and wear a hat to protect themselves from the sun element and a team from the MTA set up a tent for our participants to work comfortably. The participants were taught how to use their fingers as viewfinders. Through this technique, they were encouraged to spot objects which are incompatible with the beach environment. Unfortunately, the participants found plastic bottles which were left behind by beachgoers, despite all the authorities’ efforts to keep the beaches clean.

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3. Photography Walk Photographs capture sentimental moments and memories for us to cherish for a lifetime.

Therefore, a photography walk was organised along Golden Bay. Participants were encouraged to capture photos which highlight the unique habitat of this blue flag beach. During the walk, participants came across plastic pollution which led to the speaker explaining the dangers which plastic pollution imposes on the natural habitats of marine species around the world.

After the photography walk, participants were encouraged to create patterns using pebbles found at the beach. A few participants argued that pebbles on sandy beaches seem out of place, however, our speaker explained that the removal of pebbles, stones and other rocky material from beaches would be a short-sighted move which would cause harm in the long run. The speaker asserted that the removal of such natural material starves the beach of its much-needed raw material from which sand is eventually produced.

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4. Photography Online Workshop - Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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5. Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets This year’s Blue Flag Activities engaged an attractive number of summer school students from five different summer schools located in villages where the blue flag beaches are located.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the majority of activities ran smoothly through pre-filmed tutorials. Participants created puppets of fish and crabs out of pre-used paper which enabled them to create several stories related to the creatures and other sea animals. Apart from the craft video tutorial, the pre-filmed session informed participants about the list of beaches which achieved blue flag certificates and the eligibility criteria for the certification. Another session focused on encouraging children to create recyclable paper where the representatives explained the steps and highlighted how by using rough, pre-used paper, a sieve and some cloths, the participants will be able to create their own paper on which they can express themselves artistically. Furthermore, the pre-filmed session included an animated video outlining the process of paper production and its effects on the environment. A video differentiating the paper which can be recycled was shown to stress the importance of such activity. All of the latter mentioned activities were presented to the five summer schools’ localities where Malta’s Blue Flag beaches are situated.

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6. Drawing Competition Summer drawing competitions are very popular with the majority of children. This inspired us to create an activity aimed at a wide range of childhood age groups. The theme was named ‘’Together for a cleaner sea’’ where a poster promoting the competition was designed and shared on multiple social media platforms with the aim to reach a wider audience. The Foundation of Educational Services shared the posters in all the summer schools, girl guides and scouts’ groups who shared the poster with their members. The chosen artworks were displayed in all blue flag beaches with the aim of promoting beach and sea cleanliness.

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7. Information Tour To conclude the blue flag activities, we toured all the beaches where the artworks of the winners of drawing and photography competitions together with crafts created during the sessions were exhibited. Our representatives explained to passers-by and beach-goers the concept of Blue Flag and the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the certification.

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8. Turtle Release In collaboration with Nature Trust Malta, an activity based around a turtle release was organised. The activity focused on beach users, diversity of marine animals, care of turtles, litter and a clean-up, followed by the release of Paul the turtle. The fact that the participants could see the turtle in close proximity left a higher impact on the importance of taking care of our ocean habitats.

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Qawra Point

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Research and Creative Writing Workshop Saltpans - Creating Art with Coloured Salt Plein-Air - Drawing Activity Clean Up Walk Beach Photography Visit at the Malta National Aquarium Photography Online Workshop - Competition Information Tour

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1. Research and Creative Writing Workshop Freespirit acting school was at the forefront of this year’s Blue Flag activities and together with the tutors we organised a creative writing workshop. The session was initiated by a brief introduction about the Blue Flag awarded local beaches. The workshop focused on the various elements which are affecting the population of marine species. Whilst all Blue Flag beaches were mentioned throughout the discussion, focus was put on Qawra Point Beach. A participant asserted that due to its geological position, this beach and its surroundings are home to a lot of creatures such as bees, grasshoppers and crabs. Issues such as single use plastic and the number of bins installed near beaches were also mentioned and discussed.

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2. Saltpans – Creating Art with Coloured Salt Salt is an essential element in our lives. Measurements of sea surface salinity, or the concentration of salt at the ocean’s surface, provide scientists vital information about global ocean circulation. Together with temperature, salt directly affects seawater density (salty water is denser than freshwater) and the circulation of ocean currents from the tropics to the poles. These currents control how heat is carried within the oceans and ultimately regulate the world’s climate.

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3. Plein-Air – Drawing Activity Plein-air painting, in its strictest sense is the practice of painting landscape pictures out-ofdoors; more loosely, the achievement of an intense impression of the open air (French: plein air) in a landscape painting. Together with the Malta Tourism Authority and Nature Trust, we asked a group of participants to undergo this rewarding experience at Qawra Point Beach. An Art tutor explained the principles of drawing landscape and guided the participants to create interesting artistic works. Throughout the session our speaker explained the importance of having accessible beaches and a lifeguard tower to monitor and assist in case of any emergency.

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4. Clean Up Walk Beach cleaning conserves coastal and ocean ecosystems. It ensures that none of the litter endangers marine life or is toxic enough to disrupt the aquatic life cycle. Litter also ends up in beaches after being transported from roads via wind and rain. In this activity at Qawra Point Beach, we discussed how vital it is to clean areas leading to beaches. Participants were repulsed by a person who they experienced littering just a few metres away from the numerous installed bins.

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5. Beach Photography Qawra Point Beach and the surrounding area offers visitors, especially photography enthusiasts, a unique opportunity to capture photos of a picturesque view. A group of energetic participants were asked to join us for an activity during the morning and just before sunset to capture scenic photos of this beautiful beach during such time slots. Despite all of the efforts done in promoting blue flag beaches, many people are unable to define the term ‘blue flag’. Our speaker explained that a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility criteria must be fulfilled and maintained by beaches to attain blue flag certifications.

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6. Visit at the Malta National Aquarium An activity was organised at the Malta National Aquarium which is located between ‘Qawra Point’ and ‘Bugibba Perched Beach’ which are both Blue Flag beaches. The main attraction of the Aquarium is the shark tank. The spokesperson explained how the Malta National Aquarium has been collaborating with Sharklab Malta in a recovery and release programme of the two species of local cat shark species. Sharklab Malta visits the fish market in Valletta daily to report the amount of shark species that land and check whether they have egg cases inside them. The egg cases are generally taken out and brought to the Malta National Aquarium for further development, until they hatch naturally. As from 2021, the seven forms of single use plastic has been banned from importation. This includes plastic bags, cutlery, straws, plates, cotton buds, food containers and stirrers.

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7. Photography Online Workshop - Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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8. Information Tour To conclude the blue flag activities, we toured all the beaches where the artworks of the winners of drawing and photography competitions together with crafts created during the sessions were exhibited. Our representatives explained to passers-by and beach-goers the concept of Blue Flag and the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the certification.

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Story Telling and Crafts Activity Let's Go Paperless - Digital Art Music with Trash Photography Online Workshop - Competition Summer Schools - DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets Drawing Competition Information Tour

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1. Story Telling and Crafts Activities A craft activity related to St. George’s Bay took place in collaboration with a private childcare centre. Children enjoy puppet making and this activity focused on creating something which children can play with but at the same time can take home as a keepsake. The session targeted participants aged 2-3 years old, and it started off by practicing sand play. Later, children were given crayons to colour templates on pre-used paper and eventually they transformed the paper into puppets of marine species. The participants used the handmade puppets to tell different stories related to the marine life.

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2. Let’s go Paperless – Digital Art Most Maltese teenagers contribute to the clubbing and entertainment industry especially in places such as St. Julian’s. For this reason, this online session focused on St. George’s Bay which is situated in the heart of this clubbing Mecca. The online session focused on the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the blue flag certificate. A discussion took place concerning litter, predominantly plastic, and how it is ending up dumped on our beaches and in the sea to the detriment of precious marine species. This activity was organised with ‘Happy Parenting’ which is a non-Governmental Organisation promoting co-parenting and aims to alleviate parental alienation. Participants viewed a digital art tutorial and were asked to create artwork using St. George’s Bay through a free software. They were also encouraged to share their ideas of this subject matter by using a digital platform.

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3. Music with Trash This online session was organised with ‘Curious Kiddos’ mother and baby club. Prior to this session, mothers of participants were asked to store plastic and metal caps and paper/cardboard packaging for this session. The topic revolved around the benefits of clean up events. Parents highlighted how beach clean-ups are extremely important as they contribute towards mitigating the problems caused by ocean debris and danger inflicted on marine life as a result of plastic pollution. A parent with background in statistics mentioned how clean-ups provide opportunity for statisticians to gather important data about the state of our coasts. The data includes the types of litter our shores are mostly polluted with and we mainly discussed St. George’s bay which location attracts a big number of people especially teenagers and so unfortunately, it is known to be prone to littering. For the activity, parents encouraged their children to sort out the different types of debris (metal, paper and plastic) and then create something out of the material.

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4. Photography Online Workshop - Competition A photography competition was organised with the aim of encouraging participants to express their vision of the spectacular views which can be witnessed from this island’s blue flag beaches and to highlight the concerns arising from issues affecting our environment. A mobile photography video tutorial featured a professional photographer and a teacher from the Malta Art School who guided the participants in taking good quality photos. Through this tutorial, the participants learned about an array of various methods and techniques which can be utilised to capture and create high quality photos. Furthermore, the participants learned about how they can improve the quality of their photos through editing from a free mobile application.

This video tutorial was shared with numerous entities ranging from scout groups, art schools, summer schools, NGO’s and other governmental and private entities.

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5. Summer Schools – DIY Recycled Paper & DIY Hand Puppets This year’s Blue Flag Activities engaged an attractive number of summer school students from five different summer schools located in villages where the blue flag beaches are located.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the majority of activities ran smoothly through pre-filmed tutorials. Participants created puppets of fish and crabs out of pre-used paper which enabled them to create several stories related to the creatures and other sea animals. Apart from the craft video tutorial, the pre-filmed session informed participants about the list of beaches which achieved blue flag certificates and the eligibility criteria for the certification. Another session focused on encouraging children to create recyclable paper where the representatives explained the steps and highlighted how by using rough, pre-used paper, a sieve and some cloths, the participants will be able to create their own paper on which they can express themselves artistically. Furthermore, the pre-filmed session included an animated video outlining the process of paper production and its effects on the environment. A video differentiating the paper which can be recycled was shown to stress the importance of such activity. All of the latter mentioned activities were presented to the five summer schools’ localities where Malta’s Blue Flag beaches are situated.

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6. Drawing Competition Summer drawing competitions are very popular with the majority of children. This inspired us to create an activity aimed at a wide range of childhood age groups. The theme was named ‘’Together for a cleaner sea’’ where a poster promoting the competition was designed and shared on multiple social media platforms with the aim to reach a wider audience. The Foundation of Educational Services shared the posters in all the summer schools, girl guides and scouts’ groups who shared the poster with their members. The chosen artworks were displayed in all blue flag beaches with the aim of promoting beach and sea cleanliness.

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7. Information Tour To conclude the blue flag activities, we toured all the beaches where the artworks of the winners of drawing and photography competitions together with crafts created during the sessions were exhibited. Our representatives explained to passers-by and beach-goers the concept of Blue Flag and the criteria which makes a beach eligible for the certification.

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