9
Months of hiking
8
Visited countries
~6000
Kilometers
Each of us, sometimes unwittingly, contributes to this unfortunate statistic. Yet, by joining hands, we can save our precious waters and the life within them for future generations.
This is the main message of our historic hike around the Baltic Sea that will take place in 2024, with a principal goal to catalyse action for reducing marine pollution in 8 Baltic Sea countries.
RAISING AWARENESS
We will set on a hike with a unique communication campaign to raise waves of change on an international level, with an aim to draw public attention to the current state of the sea and ways to contribute to its improvement.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
Together with Baltic Sea science institutes and environmental organisations, we will invite the citizens of each country to take a closer look at our sea and its issues, as well as engage in citizen science activities and cleanups.
CO-CREATING SOLUTIONS
‘Living lab’ workshops will gather local stakeholders and community representatives to search for the most suitable ways to reduce negative impacts on the Baltic Sea in each location.
The official, high-level expedition launch event will take place at Vilnius Town Hall on March 8, 2024, bringing together representatives of Save The Baltic Sea partner institutions, sponsors, and ambassadors from Lithuania.
Winter’s grip continues in Latvia, and though snow-covered roads test our endurance, the thought of home keeps us moving. Just one week remains in our nine-month expedition, and the sight of “Klaipėda” on road signs is a heartening reminder that we are close, with just over 100 kilometers to go. The last stretch in Latvia […]
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I fell in love—with every day, every step, and every moment spent on this expedition. For four months now, the sea has been my constant companion, a source of wonder that never ceases to amaze me. My heart raced as I set off on a hike along the seashore in Jūrmala after a brief break. […]
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Last week, we were so eager to reach Riga that we practically sped past it. The reason? Rolandas Žalnierius, chairman of the Latvian-Lithuanian community, arranged for us to stay in Jūrmala, a town just outside Riga. It was there that we finally caught up on the five days of rest we had earned. Our first […]
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We began the thirty-fifth week of our expedition with just the three of us, having bid farewell to Ieva, who joined us for the entire month of October. Time together flew by, yet it created countless unforgettable moments. The farewell moment at the Pärnu bus station was emotional for us but lost on the Vilnius-bound […]
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I’m writing my last weekly blog with rain pouring down outside and the autumn landscape rolling past the bus window under a cloudy sky. I must come back to Lithuania for some time in order to join the final kilometers of the expedition at the end of November. I left with a whole sea of […]
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The 33rd week of the expedition began with a farewell to Tallinn. We saw Giedrius off on his hike, and then Dovilė, Edita, and I, after working at our hotel in Tallinn, went in search of a place to stay. We decided that if we couldn’t find anything suitable, we’d try camping in tents. The […]
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Dirbtinio intelekto sugeneruota nuotrauka su www.canva.com free online AI generator Dauguma esame girdėję posakį: „Esi tai, ką valgai“, tačiau šis posakis pastaraisiais metais įgijo visiškai naują prasmę. Nauji mikroplastiko tyrimai, atskleidžiantys pražūtingas absorbcines plastiko savybes, kelia susirūpinimą tiek žmonių, tiek ekosistemų sveikata. Plastiką, kaip medžiagą, ne visada lengva atpažinti. Bėgant metams, gamintojai sukūrė įvairių būdų, […]
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AI generated photo: free online AI generator of www.canva.com We are what we eat, and plastic consumption has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years. Concerns for both human and ecosystem health are arising from new microplastic studies, as we start to comprehend their catastrophic absorption abilities. Plastic doesn’t always look or sound […]
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How many kilometers could you walk in a day? What about over two days? Now, imagine walking 30 kilometers every day for an entire week. Covering that distance is one thing, but the real challenge begins when you return, exhausted, and sitting down at the computer to share your thoughts (even though you’re eager to) […]
Read more97% of the Baltic Sea is affected by eutrophication – excessive amounts of nutrients that cause
algal blooms.
This results in the development of dead zones – lifeless areas with not enough oxygen for marine animals
to survive.
The excess nutrients reach the Baltic Sea from unsustainable agriculture, improper disposal of industrial waste, and even household waste coming from cities and villages far away from the coastline.
Source: HELCOM 2023 State of the Baltic Sea Report
Cigarette butts, plastic bags, bottle caps, ghost nets and other litter can be found in most Baltic Sea beaches.
This litter not only affects the aesthetics of our environment – it may directly harm wildlife, release toxic substances and break down into tiny pieces of microplastics that can be ingested by animals and travel along
the food chain.
Municipal waste is another important source of microplastics: microfibers released when washing synthetic clothing are among the most common types of microplastics found in the Baltic Sea.
Source: HELCOM 2023 State of the Baltic Sea Report
Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, heavy metals, and oil products are only some of the hazardous substances that reach our sea and are detrimental to the health of marine organisms. These contaminants are often slow to degrade and are accumulated by animals such as fish or seals.
Hazardous substances can enter the sea due to human activity, such as overuse of pesticides in agriculture or improper disposal of chemicals, which cannot be effectively filtered by wastewater treatment systems.
Source: HELCOM 2023 State of the Baltic Sea Report
Explore the virtual version of the art installation “The Sea Begins Here!”
