Gibraltar charities IN PERSPECTIVE The Nautilus Project

What exactly is it and what does it do?. “The Nautilus Project is a charity which is focused on the marine environment and the various anthropogenic activities that degrade it”, Lewis said. “In order to achieve this aim, the charity attempts to engage the whole community in various ways in order to drive changes which will improve our marine ecosystem long term. The school outreach programmes are a good example of this as we teach the youth about our amazing coastline and why it is worth preserving it.”

These programmes, he explained, were important in order have “a more personal touch with families who want to learn more”. They include “snorkelling trips and Coast Crawler outings which can be done as smaller family groups. If you are in the water and see something squishy then the general reaction is disgust. However, inform the public on the marine animal’s lifecycle or why it is important to our ecosystem and disgust quickly transforms to wonder. This is the aim of all our programmes”.

Its programmes and initiatives seem like incredibly rich experiences, being outings that are enjoyable as much as they are educational. Such initiatives are perhaps hard to financially upkeep, so how exactly is it funded? Lewis assured us that the Nautilus Project received “very kind” donations from trusts, businesses, and philanthropists who support the charity’s aims. “We are also supported by various youth groups like the scouts and brownies, who give up their time to help raise money for us. We are grateful to each and every donation, no matter the size.”

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30-04-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR