7 – 13th September 2024, Oban – Oban, £795 FULLY BOOKED
With our busy modern-day lives, it’s easy to lose our connection with nature. Yet a connection with the environment and blue spaces is more important than ever. A healthy ocean is essential in the world’s fight against climate change and biodiversity loss. The UK is home to extraordinary ecosystems that can be part of the solution, from seagrass meadows to kelp forests and salt marshes. Protecting and rewilding these important habitats is a critical step not only to protect marine biodiversity but in storing carbon. However, these areas are often overlooked and are not granted the protection they deserve.
This week will be led by Dr Freija Mendrik, a marine scientist and National Geographic Explorer who is passionate about protecting marine life and collaborative scientific communication. Freija expresses her research and advocacy through art, social media and film. Although scientists have been providing evidence for decades on the climate and biodiversity crisis, it tends to be fairly inaccessible to the general public. Science plus public pressure is the most powerful driver for change especially when this incorporates multiple disciplines such as art, photography and storytelling. Many people have lost (or never had) a connection with the ocean, yet ocean literacy and a relationship with ocean spaces are crucial for the protection of these ecosystems. Collaboration is a powerful tool to reconnect people with nature, push for change and tackle the ocean and climate crisis.
Research has shown that people with a greater connection to nature are more likely to behave positively towards it and want to protect it. Together we will explore different ways to reconnect with the ocean, environmental issues and solutions. From getting in the water and searching for many of Scotland’s wonderful creatures, to taking plankton trawls and looking at what we find under the microscope, and listening to the underwater world with a hydrophone. We will visit some beautiful wild places rich in life, as well as community-led projects, such as Loch Craignish seagrass meadows, which have been identified as one of the most suitable restoration sites in Scotland for native oysters and seagrass. There will also be plenty of opportunities to get on land and explore the coastline and isles during the week.
We encourage people from all backgrounds to join us for this exciting expedition, with no sailing experience required. Sail Britain’s skipper Oliver will teach you everything you need to know and get everyone involved. If there are particular projects you would like to conduct during this expedition we are happy to support you. Please get in touch with Oliver or Freija if you have any questions – info@sailbritain.org
The trip will begin at 15.00 on Saturday 7th September at North Pier Pontoons in Oban, and will end at 12.00 on Friday 13th. The crew will send details with exactly where to find Merlin on the day.
The trip fee covers the cost of the boat, crew, all equipment and training you’ll need onboard, as well as your food and a cosy bunk onboard. Not included is your travel to and from the start/end points of the voyage and any expenses ashore, although these tend to be very limited out in the wilds!