16/10/2026 Our meeting with Patrícia Nogueira from AIMM – Associação para a Investigação do Meio Marinho showed that coastal protection does not end where the land meets the sea. It includes marine ecosystems and species affected by shipping, tourism and pollution. Activities, meetings and practices The Portuguese non-profit organisation works across three areas: scientific research,
Sustainable development needs more than environmental promises. On 15 October, the Greek Erasmus+ Guardians of the Coasts team met Cesário José Barata Severino, President of the Comporta Parish Council (Junta de Freguesia da Comporta), to discuss coastal access, large tourism investments and pressure on natural resources. Cesário highlighted that Portugal’s beaches remain public by law,
15 October 2026 | Field visits to Galé–Fontainhas, Melides, Portugal A beach can remain public in law while becoming increasingly difficult to reach. This was the central issue explored during the Greek team’s Erasmus+ Guardians of the Coasts study visit meeting with a representative of Movimento Reabrir a Galé, a Portuguese citizens’ movement. A coastal
On 14 October, the Greek Guardians of the Coasts team learned about Brigada do Mar, a Portuguese organisation combining coastal clean-ups, volunteering, recycling initiatives and environmental education. Activities, meetings and practices At Escola da Trafaria, the organisation presented an environmental education programme involving six schools over the year. Through interactive workshops and hands-on activities, students
13/10/2026 | Coastal protection involves different natural processes in different places. At Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe, within Sintra–Cascais Natural Park, our study visit focused on a rocky coastal environment with steep cliffs, strong Atlantic wave action, significant geological features and habitats adapted to exposed conditions. Unlike dune restoration at Dunas da Cresmina,
13/10/2026 Context of the visit Coastal dunes are not merely features of a landscape. They support native biodiversity, regulate sand movement and provide natural protection against erosion. At Dunas da Cresmina, near Guincho Beach in Sintra–Cascais Natural Park, the Guardians of the Coasts team examined how vulnerable dune habitats can be protected while allowing
Portugal | 12–16 October 2026 From the dunes of Cascais to the beaches of Comporta and Melides, the Greek team of Guardians of the Coasts took part in a five-day study visit to Portugal (12–16 October 2026), in collaboration with Aequalitas. Through meetings with environmental organisations, citizens’ movements, scientific institutions and local government representatives, we
Active Citizenship in Practice: When Resilience Becomes a Group Responsibility On 30 September 2026, FOTOESSA hosted the fifth experiential workshop of the Guardians of the Coasts project, entitled “Active Citizenship in Practice – Challenges & Tools for Active Citizens.” The workshop focused on a question that is often overlooked in discussions about civic engagement. Knowing
Collective memory as a tool for co-creating the future of our coasts What is worth carrying forward from the beaches of yesterday to the beaches of tomorrow? This question guided the third experiential workshop of the Erasmus+ project Guardians of the Coasts, entitled “Beaches: From Collective Memory to Shared Vision”, organised by Aspasia Protogerou and
Sharing Stories from Our Beaches: Exploring the Human Meaning of Coastal Places 4 July ’26 – As part of the Erasmus+ project Guardians of the Coasts, FOTOESSA organised the second experiential storytelling workshop entitled “Sharing Stories from Our Beaches”, bringing together members of the local community in an educational journey that combined personal storytelling, active
