On 1 September 2025, 21 participants gathered in Mistra, Malta, for Kayak & Connect, an outdoor workshop organized as part of the STELLA project. Combining kayaking with environmental education, the activity encouraged participants to explore local marine ecosystems, observe human impacts on coastal environments, and reflect on practical actions they can take to support marine sustainability through active citizenship and responsible everyday choices.
Objectives:
- Strengthen participants’ awareness of marine and coastal ecosystems through direct outdoor experience (kayaking or rowing).
- Explore how citizens can actively contribute to marine sustainability in their daily lives.
- Encourage reflection on the visible human impacts on marine environments and how individuals and communities can respond.
- Promote physical activity as a meaningful tool for environmental learning and engagement.
- Empower young people and youth workers to identify realistic, citizen-led environmental actions.
Desired Outcomes:
- Develop a clearer understanding of local marine biodiversity and human pressures.
- Feel more confident discussing marine sustainability topics.
- Identify actionable steps they can implement personally or collectively.
- Strengthen their motivation to engage in environmental protection and stewardship.
- Build stronger connections between physical outdoor activity and environmental responsibility.
Description and Implementation:
Participants began with introductions, an icebreaker on their relationship with the sea, and a safety briefing. They then undertook a guided kayaking/rowing activity along a coastal route, observing biodiversity, natural features, and signs of human impact. This was followed by small-group reflections and a plenary discussion where each group shared observations, ideas for citizen action, and perceived barriers. The session closed with a call to action.
Feedback:
Participants highlighted:
- High engagement due to the hands-on, outdoor nature of the activity.
- Increased awareness of the subtle signs of human impact, especially pollution and degradation that they had previously overlooked.
- Appreciation for combining sport with environmental reflection, making the learning more memorable.
- Motivation to adopt small daily sustainability habits, especially reducing plastic use and supporting local clean-up initiatives.
- A desire for longer on-water time or a follow-up workshop focusing more on action planning.
- Some participants expressed initial uncertainty about kayaking but reported feeling more confident afterwards thanks to guidance from TDM and the partner kayak organisation.
Suggestions for Improvement:
- A few participants suggested more examples of actual green companies or sponsorship campaigns to make the pitch session easier.
- Some recommended turning the workshop into a recurring “Eco Challenge” series across schools or youth clubs.
Conclusion and Recommendations:
This is about reflecting back for the benefit of the wider STELLA project, to consider how the experience and learning from this event might be relevant to the project partners or future activities. Some recommendations:
- Provide digital follow-up resources to maintain momentum after the workshop—such as a WhatsApp group, short video, or action checklist.
- Offer multiple routes or difficulty levels for kayaking to ensure comfort for all participants.
- Extend the reflection phase with more time for action planning or co-creation of small community initiatives.
- Strengthen local partnerships with environmental NGOs and sports clubs to provide continuity beyond a one-off event.
- Document observations (photos, sketches, notes) to build a visual record that can be shared across STELLA partners.
- Ensure accessibility by always having a land-based version of the activity for non-swimmers or those with mobility concerns.
