17.05. – 19.06.
The Trash Traveler embarks on a new awareness journey to walk around Madeira on foot using trash picking to talk about ocean conservation. He will hike every day from one location to another to collect trash and meet schools, NGOs, scientists and the general public to raise awareness together as a community.
SIGN THE PETITION (CLICK HERE) for a Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining in Madeiran Waters (Portuguese citizens only).
DETAILED INFOS BELOW
DOWNLOAD EVENT POSTERS / FOTOS HERE
Main activities (open to public) – contact @TheTrashTraveler to add more activities:
17 May – 11H – Opening activity in Funchal – collect cigarette butts and piling them up at 11 am on Praça de Povo
– keep collecting cigarette butts and bring them 08 June to our final in Funchal!
18 May – 10H – Opening beach clean awareness activity – Praia do Almirante Reis
20 May – 14H – Start of the hike around Madeira – Funchal
21 May – 9H30 – Caniço – Underwater Scuba Dive Clean Up – Registration Here – join on land if you’d like
22 May – 15H – Caniçal – Underwater Scuba Dive Clean Up – Registration Here – join on land if you’d like
30 May – Maiata – Remote Site Clean Up – Contact us for more info (Soon updates about times)
08 June – 10H – Final: End of the hike around Madeira and creating a trash art performance with the collected trash in Funchal.
(Mais informações / mais ações / Updates nas Redes Sociais @TheTrashTraveler – questions? Instagram / TheTrashTravelerTeam@gmail.com)
Madeira Local Partners:
Ocean Devotion (NGO), VMT Madeira (Whale Watching & Education), Direção Regional do Ambiente e Ação Climática (DRAAC), GREENER ACT, MARE Madeira (Research Institute), Lobosonda (Whale Watching & Education), Dive with Jo (Dive Instructor)
International Project Partners:
Ocean Care (NGO – sign their petition to stop unnecessary single use plastics in Switzerland),
Sciaena (NGO) Jack Wolfskin (Outdoor Equipment), Associação Novo Mundo (NGO in which The Trash Traveler is part of)
Background Story: The Plastic Hike – 1152 km Continental Portugal
Since 2019, the molecular biologist Andreas Noe aka The Trash Traveler (IG, FB, TIK TOK, Website) is raising environmental awareness with fun and creativity. Mostly collecting plastics, creating art pieces and trash awareness songs on his Ukulele – inspiring in a positive and engaging manner.
Andreas fell in love with Portugal and it became his new home: “I could do all these projects also in my home country Germany, however, Portugal is just too beautiful to leave. I am NOT doing this project in Portugal because it is worse than anywhere else in this world. Ocean issues are global – we can contribute to ocean conservation from anywhere in the world.”
In 2020, The Trash Traveler hiked 1152 km along the entire coast of continental Portugal within 58 days to alert about the excessive amount of single use plastics we use and the need for a circular economy to reuse and refill what we already own. He walked the entire distance with only 1 refillable water bottle to show it is possible to not buy any single use items. 600 people and 80 Portuguese environmental initiatives joined to remove 1.6 tons of plastic and more importantly to raise awareness about ocean plastics. Find here the documentary movie (contact us if you’d like to screen / or place it on TV).
Continuation – The Ocean Hike: Madeira / Porto Santo / Ilhas Desertas
The Trash Traveler will hike the coast of Madeira (17.05. – 08.06.), Porto Santo (11.06. – 15.06.) and Ilhas Desertas (15.06. – 19.06.) to meet the general public, NGOs, schools, scientists and other institutions while collecting marine litter and raising awareness about ocean issues (find the list of partners below).
Marine litter “Trash” is the most visible and obvious issue for the general public. Therefore, The Trash Traveler is using simple acts such as trash collection as a starting point for discussing ocean conservation. In his awareness activities, trash art pieces are created and issues and solutions are discussed. From individual level of showcasing plastic alternatives and Zero Waste approaches, to discussing systemic changes for ocean conservation such as marine protected areas and protecting the deep sea.
The Petition: Moratorium on Deep Sea Mining
One main objective of The Ocean Hike is to support the local and national NGOs work for a moratorium on deep sea mining. The regional government of Madeira has the opportunity to be an example in the international community by taking a stance in protecting their waters by passing a resolution for a moratorium on deep sea mining.
Background:
As world economies seek to reduce carbon emissions, they have pursued new forms of clean energy development leading to an increased need for minerals and interest in resources in the deep sea. The consequences of deep-sea mining are not understood and experts are sure that it is not needed, wanted or worth the risk. Instead, investments in a combination of new technology, a circular economy and recycling would cut demand for minerals.
The national parliament has already passed a resolution asking for a moratorium in 2023, however, since the government has changed, this process was interrupted and needs to be reinforced. Since the islands are the communities most influenced by decisions on the sea, and given that the Azores have already taken a position pro moratorium, Madeira’s positioning would have a great impact.
Signatures will be collected throughout the project for the following petition: https://peticaopublica.com/?pi=OceanDevotionMadeira (more infos via link)