Spring was a season dedicated to raising awareness for the subgrantees of the ENSERES project in Tunisia. An integrated management model of marine-coastal ecosystems must necessarily be built on a new community sensitivity, where economic benefits and environmental protection are no longer in contrast but in synergy.

The Kantara Save Earth association, involved in the "Plage propre Kerkennah" project, has organized seven waste recovery workshops dedicated to autistic children. Boys and girls, accompanied by their families, after listening to the experts on the issues concerning the dangers that plastic poses to the marine ecosystem, enjoyed composing small works of art with the materials collected during the clean-ups. For many of them it was their first experience in the game of environmental protection, and the very number of appointments demonstrates how successful the initiative has been.

From the new to the old generations: in the same period Kantara carried on the dialogue with the fishermen, who have always been protagonists of the Kerkennah community. New ways to develop the ancient tradition of artisanal fishing into a more sustainable practice were discussed together. The fishermen have hired an eco-guard, and supplied the port with oil drain pans which have already greatly improved the condition of the port waters.

Important awareness events also for the Sfax Mezyena association, engaged in the "Save Thenae" project. The experts from Sfax Mezyena illustrated the environmental wonders of their territory to over 40 students of the Ain fallet school, involving them in games and quizzes that transformed environmental education into hours of cheerful learning. The final result was a large fresco on the wall of the school, representing a flamingo, a symbol of Thyna's beauty. Few days later, Sfax Mezyena members led a group of students and environmental activists on a day dedicated to planting new trees. More than 60 people participated in the clean-up and re-vegetation of the shoreline.

The port of Sfax was instead the theatre for the events organized by the ORES association, engaged within ENSERES with the "Tackle Marine Pollution" project. This time the protagonists of the clean-up day were the main stakeholders of the port, which has long been suffering from a dangerous level of pollution. Teams equipped with gloves collected and sorted the waste found throughout the area of the large infrastructure. The harvest was quantified and evaluated by the stakeholders in order to find sustainable solutions for the port and for valuation by private companies.

ENSERES will meet with subgrantees on 21 and 20 June 2023 is Sfax, Tunisia, to celebrate together the work implemented and how to consolidate further community engagements in the coming months.