fbpx
Image Alt

Projects

Our team of professionals is dedicated to the development of projects that reflect our company values of passion and innovation.

Our team of professionals is dedicated to the development of projects that reflect our company values of passion and innovation.
Projects that sustain scientific research in the marine environment; territorial development and environmental communication; outdoor education for children, schools and families.

We want to put our outdoor community and our abilities to the service of the sea, collaborating with other related realities, joined by the common objective of safeguarding the marine environment.

Through projects, we wish to put our nautical bases, the aquatic outdoor sports community and our abilities at the service of conservation and marine research initiatives. Imagine our different headquarters as open air workshops for research and dissemination activities and our outdoor community as an army of people, all highly qualified for the conservation of the marine environment.

“We strongly believe that raising awareness, education and involvement of the community are key aspects for the conservation of our marine environment. To this end we are developing projects and partnerships dedicated to activities for raising awareness amongst outdoor sports lovers and many others.”

Our Scientific Projects

Through citizen science projects, we aim to involve marine outdoor sports lovers with the monitoring, cleanup and restoration of the marine environment.

Sindbad 2.0

The Sindbad project has created a web-based platform for the provision of personalized support services to professional navigation (fishing, aquaculture, local maritime transport) and in general to all sea operators, with the aim of guaranteeing the safety of who works on board and to improve the efficiency of operations. The platform integrates heterogeneous data (numerical models, HF radar data, distributed IoT sensors, underwater cameras, satellite images) and provides both very specific and detailed weather and marine forecasts, as well as some vertical applications of immediate use for the different types of users.

Crabs

One example amongst the many projects is the CRABS – Cleanup Research and Action for Biodiversity and Safeguarding project – which saw us committed in 2020/2021 with an initiative of environmental awareness-raising, blended with citizen science. The objective of the project, sustained and financed by The North Face, was to select and train a community of people who love open air marine sports to complete marine conservation activities in Portofino’s protected marine area.

Stage e Internship

Outdoor Portofino is also the headquarters for numerous Practical Courses of Visual Biological Census held by Genoa University. Niasca bay provides the perfect open air classroom for learning marine ecological monitoring techniques through snorkeling and kayaking. Moreover, since 2021, Outdoor Portofino has been able to offer the opportunity to take part in internships and traineeships, stipulating agreements with the main Italian Universities and Schools. Our experience matured over the years, together with the highly competent figures present within our staff, allow us to create targeted projects with the objective of facilitating the professional choices made by students. Knowledge and experience in the world of work helps students in the development of their training processes.

Micro Plastic Hunters

In collaboration with CNR IAS, for the Micro Plastic Hunters project, we developed and tested a protocol for monitoring micro-plastics whilst canoeing, with the objective of monitoring pollution in coastal areas, often not considered by traditional oceanographic campaigns. Recently, we tested the use of mini-mantas for the first time in the sea, in the context of our CRABS project.

Portofino Seaweed Garden

In 2021 our Portofino Seaweed Garden project was selected by the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) amongst 280 international projects to create a seaweed garden for the Ericaria Amintacea species within the protected marine area in Portofino. Portofino Seaweed Garden is a great example of citizen science: after an initial phase in the lab, the seaweed was planted in the AMP, being then monitored and protected by the local sports community in an action of communication and awareness-raising regarding environmental safeguarding.

Blu di Genova

Another citizen science project that we have been committed to is the Blu di Genova project. Thanks to the support of Genoa Blue District and in collaboration with the Auxiliary Coastguard, CNR IAS, Genoa University DISTAV and DICCA, Marevivo and the Lega Navale, we have guided locals, tourists and sportspeople to discover Nervi’s rocky coast and contribute to scientific research.

Brizo

BRIZO is an ongoing pilot project in which, thanks to the collaboration together with OENgineering and ETT Genova, we are designing and testing a sensor for monitoring oceanographic data that can be transported on aquatic sports vehicles.

Relife

Our professional specificity also gives us the chance to take part in safeguarding projects regarding particular marine species. In the context of the RELIFE project (LIFE15 NAT / IT / 000771) to reintroduce the Patella ferruginea limpet – which risks extinction – in Liguria’s  AMPs, we have contributed to the transplantation and monitoring of implanted examples and the conduction of investigations via canoe and coasteering in order to create a map of the resident population of limpets in the local area. Moreover, we have carried out activities that involve the public, taking tourists on our guided kayak tours to visit the limpet populations and allowing them to learn about their ecological importance.

Roc Pop Life

We have provided logistic support to the ROC POP Life project (N ° LIFE16 NAT / IT / 000816) from our nautical headquarters in Monterosso, working to promote improving biodiversity, restoring the Cystoseira populations.

Sentinelle di mare

Over the years we have developed important collaborations in the marine and on land environments, sustaining the dissemination of environmental issues. We work together with the Sentinelle del Mare (literally the Sea Sentinels), a project that aims to involve kayakers in helping the Coastguard monitor the Italian coast.

City Nature Challenge

In 2021, the international bioblitz City Nature Challenge also arrived in Italy, with a new marine format, inviting cities to compete in providing the greatest number of citizen science observers of the natural world. Outdoor Portofino took part in the challenge – as did the Portofino local hub – inviting locals and tourists to upload the biological observations that they made above and below the sea, in our iNaturalist project.

Eco-Strim

Collaborating with the CIMA Research Foundation, we created a series of infographic illustrations for tourists to illustrate marine itineraries, good practices and information regarding endemic local marine species that can be found around the Portofino AMP (progetto Eco-Strim).

AMP di Portofino

We have also acted as subcontractors for Portofino MPA, carrying out a series of nautical surveys in the area and providing GPS points for moorings, buoys and marine works.

Oceanography

Reading the marine forecast is essential for aquatic sports and our geographical position is strategic for oceanographic monitoring. For this reason we also work together with platforms like EMODnet and Sinbad Liguria, managing the Portofino MEDA 2 oceanographic buoy and the oceanographic data available for planning open air activities.

“Thanks to the strategic coastal positions of our headquarters, our outdoor abilities and the local and marine ecological knowledge that we have, we have acted as consultants for a series of local and national entities, monitoring the coast or lending them our experience.”

School & kids projects

Through sports like kayaking, sup, snorkeling, coasteering, trekking and orienteering, we teach kids and teens about the organisation and structure of the natural environment and how to live in it without altering its delicate equilibrium. We explore the natural world around us in complete safety.

Nature School

The summer weeks at the Nature School are an occasion in which to explore the marine environment of the protected marine area and get to know the habitats that populate it. Through sports we talk about environmental education and marine biology, transmitting our love and respect for nature.

Laboratori

With support from some of the local institutions, we offer free marine biology and environmental education workshops in the local area. These workshops are aimed at children from 5 years and up.

Since 2012 we have developed study projects for schools with the objective of getting kids to try out outdoor sports in a fun way and conveying to them love and respect for nature. Together with us you can plan teaching activities both in the classroom and in the open air.

We are committed to the environmental and outdoor education of children, all year round. We believe that it is never too early to discover and love the treasures of the natural environment. Quite the contrary, we are convinced that starting right from the earliest years is essential, in order to instruct the adults of the future about the awareness and respect of all that surrounds them.

Territorial projects

Our well rooted presence in the area has allowed us, over the years, to give life to development and territorial communication projects.

Portofino 4 nature

Together with other professional operators in the area, in 2017 we created Portofino 4 Nature: a tourism, gastronomy and culture brand connected to the Portofino Promontory. Portofino 4 Nature takes you on a voyage of discovery of the area: genuine flavours, uncontaminated nature, rich traditions and culture as well as events.

Quality made

Quality Made is a quality brand of Cultural Identity that certifies companies who base their activity on the principles of cultural, environmental and social sustainability. In 2018 we obtained the Quality Made certification – an authentication that distinguishes us, together with other 75 companies dotted around the area between Italy and France. Quality Made was created by the S.MAR.T.I.C. project (Development of Territorial Brands and Cultural Identity), co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development of the Maritime INTERREG Italo-French programme 2014-2020, with the aim of promoting an area of cooperation from a touristic point of view.

newsletter
STAY IN THE KNOW

Stay tuned!

Subscribe now! Stay updated with our activities and news!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Join us!

Join the Outdoor Portofino Community and share the pleasure of living the best of nature with others!

You can choose to become a member of our sports society and use discounted services and special offers!

Apri chat
Ciao 👋
Come possiamo aiutarti?