by InTrieste
On the northern edge of the Adriatic, where the sea has long shaped the rhythm of the city, a new initiative is seeking to build not only sailors but also stewards of the ocean.
This week, the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, in partnership with the WWF Marine Protected Area of Miramare, launched Sail and Science – Building Ocean Lovers, an international educational and advocacy program designed to strengthen “ocean literacy” among children and the broader community. The project, modeled on a similar initiative in Newport, Rhode Island, pairs classroom science with time on the water, in an effort to make the sea both accessible and understood.
Beginning September 15, fourth-grade students from several Trieste primary schools will spend a week engaged in hands-on workshops on marine biodiversity and ocean chemistry, alongside sailing lessons in the waters off Barcola. Educators hope that by combining science with sport, students will gain not only an appreciation for the marine environment but also teamwork and problem-solving skills. A second phase of the program is planned for spring, with the ambition of expanding the curriculum to more schools in the coming years.
“This is not just a single event, but a sustained educational path,” organizers said, describing the sailing club itself as an “open-air classroom.”
The initiative forms part of a larger calendar of events tied to Barcolana, Trieste’s annual sailing regatta that draws thousands of sailors and visitors each October. This year, ocean advocacy and education will take a prominent role.
On October 2, WWF Miramare will debut Una regata per l’oceano (“A Regatta for the Ocean”), an educational kit for schools. The game takes students on a global sailing adventure, introducing them to different seas and the environmental challenges they face. Teachers will be trained to use the kit in their classrooms.
From October 4 to 12, Piazza Unità—Trieste’s vast seafront square—will host the “Deep Blue Exploration Zone,” a two-story pavilion featuring immersive video projections, 3D headsets, and exhibits on ocean research. For the first time, it will also display the skeleton of a fin whale that stranded near Muggia last year. The specimen, recovered by Miramare researchers, will eventually be installed at the city’s Natural History Museum but will serve here as a centerpiece for guided tours and children’s workshops. A public contest will invite visitors to choose a name for the whale, which will be “voiced” by a popular influencer known for her animated character impersonations.
Other events include a public conference on October 6 about the presence and conservation of whales, dolphins, sharks, and rays in the Adriatic, followed by a training course for maritime workers on recognizing and reporting marine species. From October 8 to 10, the Barcolana Sea Summit will bring international speakers, including WWF’s Jessica Battle, who will discuss the campaign for a moratorium on deep-sea mining until its risks are better understood.
Organizers say the yearlong program is aimed at connecting people with the sea that defines Trieste’s identity. “We want to create not just sailors, but ocean lovers,” they said.
