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 Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. How can governments, scientists, policymakers, the agriculture industry and citizens work together to reduce the negative impact on our precious marine ecosystems? 🌊 Join a free hybrid seminar and networking event about protecting the Baltic Sea environment and the role of eutrophication […]
LT JŪROS KNYGA – unikalus ekspedicijos partnerių – Baltijos aplinkos forumo, leidinys. Knygos autoriai kviečia iš arčiau susipažinti su nepaprastu jūros gyvenimu. Jūros, kuri yra namai daugiau nei 6 000 rūšių. Taip pat galėsite patyrinėti Baltijos jūros geologinę raidą, srovių įtaką bei saugomas teritorijas. Ar žinojote, jog Baltijos jūroje gyvenanti žuvis – ciegorius arba kitaip […]
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Just last week, we were walking the roads of Sweden, and today we’re surrounded by a new language. In Finland, we’ll be hiking along the shores of the Baltic Sea for about two months, until mid-October. After that, there will be only the Baltic countries to be crossed: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. After hopping across […]
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Dirbtinio intelekto sugeneruota nuotrauka (1). Šaltinis: DreamStudio „Baltijos jūros ekosistema išbalansuota“ – Gustaf Lind, Pasaulio gamtos fondo (WWF) generalinis sekretorius. Ankstesnėje publikacijoje susipažinome su Baltijos jūros ekosistemą sudarančiomis rūšių grupėmis ir išsiaiškinome, kad buveinių būklė yra prasta, net po daugelio metų stebėjimų ir kontrolės. Šįkart sužinosime, ar vis dar yra vilties, ir pamatysime, kaip kolektyviniai […]
Read more Photo generated by AI at DreamStudio “The Baltic Sea’s ecosystem is out of balance” – Gustaf Lind, Secretary General of the WWF Previously we introduced you to the groups that make up the Baltic Sea ecosystem, and showed how habitats are still in poor condition even after years of assessment and management. We want to […]
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Last week, we bid farewell to the youth from the “Vyrų Kalvės Akademija” – 15- to 18-year-olds who traveled from Lithuania to join us in northern Sweden. They spent a week helping to spread the message of our expedition, organizing events, hiking with us, cooking, taking care of accommodations, and learning about teamwork while developing […]
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The week starts with change. First, a change of location – like many other campers, cyclists, and travelers we’ve seen, we’re finally heading off. Our destination: around the Baltic Sea, covering another 2800 km through Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia, before finally reaching Lithuania. We soon realize that it’s a good two-hour drive to the […]
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FOTO: iStockphoto.com. Žuvis – Jūrų drakonas, besislepiantis smėlyje. Šis klausimas tikriausiai ne kartą kilo visiems, kam rūpi gamta, klimato krizė, taršos problemos ir t. t. Šį klausimą kelia ir mokslininkai, tarp jų – socialinių mokslų atstovai. Tad toliau – įžvalgos iš psichologijos mokslo, kuris tyrinėja žmonių elgesį, o aplinkosaugos problemos daugiausiai ir kyla būtent dėl […]
Read more FOTO: iStockphoto.comGreater Weever is hiding in the sand. This is a question that has probably been asked many times by everyone who is concerned about nature, the climate crisis, pollution problems, etc. It is also a question that has been raised by scientists, including those in the social sciences. So here are some insights from […]
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FOTO: iStockphoto.comPlastiko tarša. Į nailoninį žvejybos tinklą įsipainiojęs ruonis. Šie smalsūs jūros gyvūnai mėgsta žaisti, todėl ir šį ruonį patraukė virvė ir tinklas. Naujausios HELCOM (Helsinkio komisijos) ataskaitos atskleidžia, kad Baltijos jūros biologinė įvairovė yra nuskurdusi, ekosistemos netekusios pusiausvyros, o jūroje vykdoma veikla netvari. Mes, kaip vartotojai, turime teisę būti informuoti, kad priimdami žiniomis pagrįstus […]
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!”
