A challenge for families with young children to become Guardians of the Azores to preserve the environment by collecting trash in exchange for experiences.

 

The Guardians of the Azores project is an initiative of Futurismo Azores Adventures, who for the last 30 years has held the motto of “Love, Explore and Protect” the Azores, with a focus on sustainability. Aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, Futurismo has a simple request to encourage community participation to care for and protect the environment. 

 

Shaping up to be a citizen-science project, Futurismo is prompting families with young children to register to participate in a community-driven challenge to get out in nature, collect rubbish and preserve the land. The project requires 2,800 individuals to collect 21,800 kilograms of trash from the island’s beaches and natural areas. 

 

While participating, teams will be required to deliver their collection and post their challenge online while following various scientific procedures. The information collected will then be used by students who are completing master’s or doctoral theses in this area, with teams ultimately contributing to shared scientific knowledge. In exchange for participation, Futurismo has partnered with hotel brands in the region to reward teams with experiences, for some, a first-time opportunity to stay in an inclusive eco-resort for them and their families. 

 

For the local community of São Miguel, beach cleaning is not a new concept, with daily efforts to maintain the beauty of the coastline while involving guests. Among those working tirelessly to gather debris and pollution, Santa Bárbara single-handedly collected 350kg of waste in 2019 and are proud partners of Guardians of the Azores.

 

In 2015, Santa Bárbara became the first eco-beach resort in the Azores. Located on São Miguel, the iconic scene of black-sand beaches and bright blue ocean made an idyllic setting for guests to experience nature in a breathtaking environment. The vision of an entrepreneur, and enthusiastic surfer, João Reis, was an eco-friendly beach resort that integrated into its environment. With a close alignment to the challenge’s mission, Santa Bárbara contributes experiences to the cause and will gift families the chance to stay in its exclusive eco-resort as a reward.

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