After a productive year of activities related to environmental education, we had an ending with playful activities to celebrate. That was the way Bahia Marina ended activities of the environmental education and social communication program, along with the Solar do Unhão community in 2015. On the occasion, children from the neighborhood were stimulated to draw and produce shirts related to themes of the workshops they had along the year. They drew turtles, dolphins, sunrise, the see . . .

The activity consisted in creating some visual reference done with some painting techniques right on the shirts, based on the contents of the worshops and activities of the program developed this year: Workshops: “The Art of Living in peace”; ”Life Has the Color You Pain It”, “personal, social and environmental ecology” and the ”Environmental History of Baia de Todos os Santos”, besides an ecological tour.

Bahia Marina environmental education and social communication program will continue on January 12th, with several educational activities and after carnival, Bahia Marina will hold some workshops related to “integral health”.

“Navigate is needed”. And with an extra dose of adrenaline, 70 competitors literally followed the famous sentence in the 7th edition of the Nautical Rally of Bahia. This year, the party in the sea innovated and included the category called “Adventure” and inserted the participation of jet skis so they can join the boats in the competition. The Rally happened on November 28th (saturday) with neutral point at Bahia Marina.

Hold every year by Bahia Marina and Yacht Clube of Bahia, the 2015 event was sponsored by Marina Yachts, representative of Azimut in Bahia and the support of Náutica Magazine, Municipal Government of Salvador, Air Europa, Tribuna da Bahia, A Tarde and Correio da Bahia.

After the start at Barra, the competitors followed to the neutral point, strategic stop for a moment of rest, celebration and recharge to continue the race. This time, Bahia Marina welcomed the competitors on dry land, not at the schooner as last editions. “This change was thought for the best comfort and more interaction among competitors”, says  Silvia Ferreira (Bahia Marina Manager).

People at the neutral point was entertained by Dj Barbie while tasting Bahia typical food, delicacies and drinks. The party ended at the Bahia Yacht Club with a lot of joy and excitement with Jamil band.

Winners:

Four pairs finished the race with the lower margin of error and reached the podium:

General Category:

1º Marcos Rupollo/Ana Maria Heyse (Doria’s Boat);
2º Marcelo Sacramento/Marcelo Campos (Capitão Nelson);
3º Luiz Fernando Souza/Adriano Ribeiro (Aquaholic)

Bahia Category:

1º Luiz Fernando Souza/Adriano Ribeiro (Aquaholic);
2º Daniel Ferreira Lima Jr/Diogo Lima (Que Natureza);
3º Danielson Costa Lima/Danilo Rego (Free)

Adventure Category:

1º Rilson Moitinho/Lucas Moitinho (Princess VIII);
2º Luiz Vidal Otero/Luiz Eduardo Rivera (Ocho Rios);
3º Nilson Pena/Helio Vieira (Maré Cheia)

Jet Ski Category:

1º Vitor Granjo/Luiza Granjo (Poly);
2º Bruno Carlos (Kbeça II);
3º Ronaldo Farias/Claudia Dourado (Kal Dourado).

Even on a rainy day,  children and their parents, residents of the Solar do Unhão community, were very excited. They just really wanted to know the Tamar Project in Praia do forte. This was the first destiny of a tour organized by the Bahia Marina environmental education and social communication program, with more than 40 participants, including kids and their parents. The objective was to promote the knowledge of the marine habitat and its preservation, through direct contact with animals.

During the guided tour “the sea turtle´s world”, four of the 5 species from the national coast (the Big-Headed, the Hawksbill, the Olive Ridley, the Green) preserved by the Tamar Project, were presented didactically, besides fishes, sharks and the stingrays.

Knowledge

Ana Claudia Rodrigues, 33, mother of two (Fabricio and Juliana Rodrigues), present on the tour, talked about how satisfied she was about the Project. ”I think it was very interesting and educative. I learned a lot about nature and I saw things I just saw on tv”

Teenager Izadora Morais, 14 years old, was impressed with what she saw: “I think the tour was very special and fun, because we had the opportunity to touch some animals we had never touched before, such as stingrays. We also took some pictures close to the sharks. Even on a rainy day, it was very good. I learned a lot about the turtles and about not throwing trash in the sea, so we do not hurt the sea animals”, she said.

One of the parents present on the tour, complimented the itinerary and the commitment of Bahia Marina in promoting activities like that to the community. Julinaldo Rocha, 35, father of Enzo Ricardo, 12, and Rickison Santos, 14, visited the project for the first time with his children:”I thought it was great, the group of people together, the knowledge about the environment, its preservation and the piece of culture we got here. I was really surprised with the commitment of Bahia Marina, developing this work. To my children, it was a great learning and that is why I motivated them to come over”, he said.

Yellow Submarine

During the tour, the children did not get excited only about the turtles, sharks and stingrays. In the yellow submarine, they could appreciate a unique exposition in Latin America, with animals living in the depths of the ocean (around 500 meters) and touch them.

Taialane Vitória, 14, remembered how was the feeling of touching the giant sea cockroach (Bathynomus giganteus), even in cold water. “I experienced things that I never did before in my life. I loved to touch the sea cockroach from the depths of the ocean. I learned about the seven turtle species in the world, five from Brazil and four are here in Bahia. All of this will be worthwhile in the future.”

Besides the giant cockroaches, morays and the hagfish blew the kid´s minds. Tarsis Victor was one of them. “I loved to see many different kinds of fish that I have never seen before. And it was very nice to see the hagfish.”

Contorno Avenue, in Salvador, earned this Saturday (05/30), a work of art to celebrate the international environment day, on June 5th. The intervention of Bahia Marina is exposed in a panel measuring 9 meters long x 3 meters wide, to screen the sea turtle, one of the animals symbol of Baia de Todos os Santos, being one of the victims of the environmental degradation.

Using art as an appeal through the concept “Here it is art, but trash in the sea”, the work signed by Engenhonovo and executed by artist Ivo Gato was designed with materials usually discarded in the sea. To compose the work he used three thousand of  pet bottles in several sizes, two thousand of beer cans, wood, iron materials and paint.

According to Ivo Gato, the goal of the activity is to show how trash can be beautiful if it is transformed, not discarded wrongly in the environment. Nine people were involved in the process of creation of the panel, which started with the search for the right materials and visits to the recycling cooperative. “We found a kind of material that could give more plasticity, turning trash into a good visual artwork”, he says.

Environmental History

It is already part of Bahia Marina to celebrate important dates of the environmental calendar with activities that make society think about the water and the Bahia de Todos os Santos biodiversity prevention. Since 2009, the company hold advertising campaigns with additional socialeducative activities related to the environment theme, disclosing the preservation of the sea in a creative way. In 2011 and 2012, the campaigns signed by Engenhonovo agency earned some awards nationally

According to Reynaldo Loureiro, director of Bahia Marina, annually the berths around Bahia Marina are cleaned, besides the daily cleaning of wastes found on the surface of the sea. “What we notice is that people have not learned how to discard their trash rightly and since we have the sea as a base for our products and services, it is our job to bring information to people and spread a positive message”, he says.

About the artist:

José Ivo da Costa Santos is an artist, born in Lagarto/Sergipe and eradicated in Bahia. He studied business administration, but noticed this was not his area, then he studied visual arts at the Federal University of Bahia. After that, 35 years ago, he started up the Ivo Gato studio, company that Works on decoration, landscaping and scenography for cinema, theater, television, malls and some others.

Technical File:

Agency: Engenho novo

Creative director: Márcio Sant’ Ana

Art director: Heitor Neto

Copywriter: fabio perazzo

Costumer service director: Bartira Pereira

Attendance: Bárbara Santana

Media: Priscila Fernandes

Graphic Production: Sandra Ramacciotti

Artist: Ivo Gato

Children and mothers of Solar do Unhão community shared a unique experience in January. That was the feeling of most people along the educative tour by schooner around Bahia Marina in Baía de Todos os Santos. The campaign is part of the environmental education and social communication  program that Marina develops with the surrounding community since 2012.

The tour was attended by around 40 participants, among children and adults, and there were activities coordinated by Ethos-Humanus in cooperation with biologist Maria do Socorro Reis (Bioconserve Environmental Consulting), who studies marine mammals in Baía de Todos os Santos for 25 years. Children saw for the first time a pink river dolphin group, about 10 of them, around Foz do Paraguaçu, place where mammals are used to feed during summer. It was a very special moment.

Mangrove

Another remarkable moment of the event was the walk along the mangrove. Children learned the reason why we have it, the importance of preserving such ecosystem and got, along the tour, knowledge on the consequences of blast fishing and the damages we get from the trash left in the sea and they still learned about the history of some places we visited. The little ones had a lot of questions and also took advantage of the tour to take a swim in Salinas da Margarida, one of the tour stops.

Bath

According to biologist Maria do Socorro, “Bahia Marina initiative was positive. The group showed interest, interacted very positively. The work with the children makes them better and turns them into more aware adults in the future. This tour was a living experience with the nature they will never forget”. According to Edileuza Benigno, mother of two kids who never left Salvador, the experience was unforgettable: “I was amazed. I learned a lot of things along with my kids. They will never forget the mud bath in the mangrove. I am very happy”.

The ecological tour is the first campaign of 2015 among some others scheduled for the environmental education program of Bahia Marina, along with Solar do Unhão community

Every year, thousands of Brazilians get exposed to the risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) because of the lack of orientation. Thinking about taking information on STD and family planning, Bahia Marina invited CEPARH (research and care center in human reproduction) through the environmental education and social communication program to go to the Solar do Unhão community to provide free medical assistance. The events happened on March 12th and 14th.

Opened by the nursing coordinator of CEPARH, Adriana Leite, the lecture “Love and Sex: Pleasure and danger” brought to a very aware audience, themes related to reproductive health, contraceptive methods and orientation on how to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases. “The community has several questions and this kind of subject must always be discussed in other opportunities”, Adriana said.

Mother for the first time at 17 and holding her second baby now at 19, Daniela Conceição told us that both babies were not expected and planned. “Every young person must know about the contraceptive methods to avoid pregnancy and this meeting was very productive to alert people and teach”, she said.

Sat in the front row, Mônica Silva, 27 years old, was aware to get as much information as she could, through Nurse Adriana Leite. ”I got to know better about all the contraceptive methods and, in the future, I intend to have another babies, however, planning everything before”, she said.

Medical Care

Last Friday (03/14), the Solar do Unhão community was very excited. The reason for that was the health mobile unit of CEPARH. They set up a room at the association of residents to provide medical care to people of reproductive ages. After a sorting process with some nurses, 25 people were checked out by Doctor Alan Assis Coutinho and according to each case, they received referrals for tests and birth control drugs for free.

“Our goal is make them know better CEPARH and keep them close, so they can be watched over regularly by professionals. People usually do not get access easily to contraceptive methods, so it is needed to discuss more about Family planning”, said.

Last Tuesday (01/28), Bahia Marina reopened the association of residents in Solar do Unhão. Founded in 1995, the place went through the first restoration in its structure, including painting, electrical and hydraulic installation, new floor at the upper part, doors change, toilet restructuring and some other improvements in general. The project was signed by the architect Luiz Eduardo Queiroz.

Bahia Marina manager, Silvia Ferreira, said that this work will bring benefits to the residents and it will keep a good environment to develop the environmental education program already developed by Bahia Marina at the place. “The head office of the association is a space where many events take place, such as board meetings and many others, directed towards the residents of the community. As of the restoration of the place, its use and the offer of courses can be expanded, such as handcraft, English, computer and professional training courses”, she says.

In the president of the association of resident´s opinion, Jailson Bispo dos Santos, this restoration was an old desire of the residents and last managements of AMSU (Solar do Unhão Association of Residents). “I just want to thank Bahia Marina on behalf of everyone who lives around here and the ones that, from now on, can use this new space, such as children, elderly people and the directors of the association”.

Partnership

In a partnership between Bahia Marina and SESC Pelourinho, 25 people from the Solar do Unhão community will have the opportunity to attend free courses at the handcraft training Centre. Classes start in March, at the new head office of the association of residents, where participants will learn artwork techniques with newspaper, mosaic, remnants and cloth doll.