Together for the Oceans: Rio Mare and WWF present an illustrated children's book

Spreading the protection of the oceans and raising awareness about sustainable fishing is the purpose of The Extraordinary Adventure of Ondina and Oceano by Tiziana Martini and Roberto Greco, an illustrated book dedicated to children, published by Gribaudo. It is a tale for everyone, young and old, to discover the marine world and its riches to be defended. A journey that Rio Mare (a brand of Bolton Group’s Food Business Unit) and WWF, promoters of the book, began back in 2016, with a transformative partnership aimed at ensuring more sustainable fishing by the company, which then led them to develop the sustainability education project Together for the Oceans.

Through the voice of Ondina, a fictional character who has the power to talk to the great Ocean, Rio Mare and WWF talk to children and adults alike, telling the story of an incredible hiccup, a metaphor for the suffering the ecosystem experiences due to invasive and unsustainable fishing practices. The authors transport readers on an adventure that ends with Ondina reaching the realization that fishing must abide by certain rules so as not to harm Oceano, and that everyone must do his or her part to respect the sea and its creatures. Adding to this teaching is a nice happy ending: a letter from Ondina, who writes directly to Oceano and tells them that she has become a spokesperson for the message of safeguarding ecosystems with her friends, who thus become Ocean Ambassadors.

Rio Mare and WWF have been working side by side for years to spread solutions that lead the fishing industry to adopt increasingly sustainable production and sourcing policies and practices, thereby reducing the impacts of the industry’s activities on the oceans. A quest that, starting from a direct and concrete commitment on the part of the company on its supply chain, reaches the youngest, with the Insieme per gli Oceani (Together for the Oceans) project, to educate Primary School children about sustainability through a story discovering the delicacy of marine ecosystems, the richness of biodiversity and the many actions that each of us can do every day to protect this precious resource.

The book is an ’evolution of a broader education project, which involves the classes of several Italian schools, protagonists of a path of knowledge of the Blue Planet, which is developed through a kit of creative materials to have fun learning nice trivia about the ocean and have interesting ideas to reflect together with their classmates. The project, launched in the last two years with the contribution of La Fabbrica as a technical partner, has already involved more than 5,000 Italian Primary Schools to bring this important message to all children, the real protagonists of a new future of sustainability.

Ondina and Oceano’s Adventure is available at LaFeltrinelli bookstores. Proceeds from sales will be donated to WWF, to support new campaigns to safeguard the Earth’s oceans, ecosystems and resources.

“Saving the oceans and protecting ecosystems have always been at the heart of Rio Mare’s commitment-a goal that can be achieved through the involvement of all stakeholders and consumers. This is why we launched the transformative partnership with WWF - signed in 2016 and renewed in 2021 - aimed at increasing the sourcing and production of more sustainable products, while initiating wide-ranging awareness-raising activities. A collaboration that gave birth to the communication and education project Together for the Oceans, for which young Ondina herself is the testimonial: a tenacious child intent on making a difference, for the well-being of the Ocean and its resources. Our wish is that children can identify with Ondina, choosing to be spokespeople for these important values themselves: because their future is in our hands,” says Luciano Pirovano, Global Sustainable Development Director Food at Bolton Group.

“It is extremely clear how the unsustainable exploitation of nature threatens not only species and habitats but also the well-being of us all. A simple truth must be accepted and understood: our societies and economies are rooted in nature, not external to it. The only way to ensure our future on the Planet, in balance with the wealth of life it hosts, is to increase nature conservation efforts while reducing the impacts of our lifestyles. For WWF, the role of education as the primary tool for cultural change is critical. Today’s children are the adults who will inherit our Planet, and with this project, which we are carrying out with Rio Mare, we are reaching out to schools all over Italy and we are seeing with satisfaction great participation. We hope that more and more young and very young people will feel involved and called to action to make their contribution to a more sustainable future for man and the Planet,” adds Maria Antonietta Quadrelli, head of WWF Italy’s education office.

All info at www.feltrinellieditore.it/opera/opera/la-straordinaria-avventura-di-ondina-e-oceano/

For more information about the collaboration between Rio Mare and WWF and the Together for the Oceans project: Oceans Ambassadors (insiemeperglioceani.it) HOME - Together for the Oceans (schools project) https://www.riomare.it/insieme-per-gli-oceani

Together for the Oceans: Rio Mare and WWF present an illustrated children's book

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.