Patina Maldives, Fari Islands celebrated World Ocean Day with a programme that included hands-on conservation workshops, ocean-themed face painting, and thought-provoking collaborative art projects.
To nurture sustainable values in the next generation of travellers, the resort’s resident Marine Biologist Oshin Christopher led a coral ceramics workshop at the school in the neighbouring island Gaafaru.
The students discovered how Patina Maldives and its ceramic tableware partner, Kevala Ceramics, successfully innovated handmade ceramic frames as a natural alternative to the metal frames traditionally used for coral propagation – before making their own, to be added to the 70-plus ceramic frames and structures already planted in the resort’s house reef.
At the Patina Maldives’ pioneering children’s centre Footprints – powered entirely by Swimsol marine solar panels – younger resort guests took up a World Ocean Day poster-making challenge, using paints and marine cut-outs to fill a giant canvas with heartfelt slogans and moving depictions of the marine environment.
Older guests meanwhile were invited to take part in a collaborative art project, using pieces of recovered marine plastics, ghost gear and other recycled materials to transform a wire framework into a striking sculpture of a sea turtle. While this transformation took shape, the resort’s marine biology team gave a World Ocean Day presentation; kids enjoyed marine animal face painting – complete with a photo booth to capture their new looks; and a special ocean-themed high tea and drinks were served.
As the sun set on World Ocean Day 2023, the kids’ giant canvas and the turtle sculpture were carefully relocated for display as a permeant, continually evolving installation in the resort’s Fari Marina Village, that will invite guests to contribute to its evolution with their own marine plastic and ghost gear finds.
“The sculpture will serve as a perpetual reminder of the urgent need to protect and restore our blue planet, and a testament to what can be achieved through collective action,” the resort said.
