Marine education

Il settore didattico dell’Area Marina Protetta di Miramare nasce nel 1989 al fine di promuovere e diffondere la conoscenza dell’ecosistema marino, delle sue caratteristiche e delle sue peculiarità. Vengono quindi proposti programmi di conoscenza dell’ambiente marino per fornire gli elementi di base per l’interpretazione degli equilibri che regolano un ecosistema, integrando i metodi classici di analisi della ricerca d’ambiente (rilievo di parametri ambientali, campionamento di fauna e flora, elaborazione lungo transetti, ecc.) con tecniche di approccio più ludico-emotivo. Inoltre, vengono realizzati progetti a carattere divulgativo-educativo per migliorare la conoscenza della biologia e dell’ecologia marina oltre che educare al rispetto e alla tutela degli ambienti naturali. 

The educational branch of Miramare Marine Protected Area (MPA) was born over thirty years ago with the aim of promoting and improving the knowledge of marine ecosystems. A rich variety of educational activities are offered in order to get acquainted with the marine environment and learn the basic tools for the study of ecosystem functioning and regulation. During our activities, classical environmental research methods (environmental parameter monitoring, animal and plant sampling, monitoring along transects, etc.) are coupled with creative and emotional education techniques to improve the learning experience. Special dissemination-educational projects provide a better insight into marine biology and ecology while teaching to respect and protect the natural world. Over the last 25 years, our educational approach has evolved together with the evolution of school programmes, but we have always kept as the highest priority a hands-on approach to environmental knowledge.

Miramare MPA is currently part of the Italian WWF Education Centre Network, and it is included in the National Environmental Information, Training and Education programme (INFEA) as an Experience Centre. Indeed, Miramare MPA has been recognized as an Experience Centre by the Ministry of the Environment due to its high-level activities focused on the naturalistic specificity of the site and the local territories.

Facilities

Indoor

The “Castelletto” (little castle) of Miramare, an historical building located in the Park of Miramare, hosts the following facilities:

• Visitor Centre: four exhibition rooms hosting a multisensory virtual underwater tour to discover marine habitats through educational tanks, videos and multimedia hotspots focused on the biodiversity of the Gulf of Trieste;

• Lab rooms: two rooms provided with all the equipment required to carry out theoretical lessons and laboratory activities. Here you can find blackboards and panels, multimedia projectors, computers, microscopies, water analysis kits and a small educational library.

Outdoor

Outdoor activities are carried out in special MPA locations that are usually closed to the public: Bagno Ducale and the little beach in front of the ex-Scuderie (horse stables) of Miramare Castle. These sites are a sort of “classroom on the shore”, as they have all you need to carry out high-profile lessons together with remarkable naturalistic features.

You & Us

• Groups that carry out educational activities at Miramare C.E.A.M. (Marine Environmental Education Centre) are always assisted by a biologist/naturalist who support the group with technical-scientific know-how and environmental interpretation tools, so that the activity can be completed in the most successful and rewarding way.

• Our operators act exclusively as facilitators and marine experts, and it is not their duty to keep discipline within the group; this task should be ensured by the accompanying teachers. For this reason, teachers are required to participate in the activities and they do not pay any entry fees (with the only exception of sea watching activities, where there can be no more than six visitors per guide).

• All activities carried out inside the “Castelletto” are accessible to disabled people, whereas some of the outdoor activities are only partially suitable for disabled people.

• To book for an educational activity, you should call the Educational Activity Office first and then download the Booking Form (in the right-hand column of this webpage), complete it and send it to the email address info@riservamarinamiramare.it or to the fax number +39 040 224636 not later than 48 hours before the activity date.

• The Educational Activity Office will be pleased to provide teachers with all the required information on educational programmes, schedules and objectives, organizational and logistic issues, costs and availability.

Contacts

Educational Activity Office:
Monday-Friday 10-13
Tel. +39 040 224147 ext. 3
fax +39 040 2248084
info@riservamarinamiramare.it