Torre Guaceto Reserve - 29th September 2022. It was a beautiful day for the children of the "Ignazio Falconieri" School in Monteroni di Lecce and the "Leonardo da Vinci" Institute in Cavallino.

Fifty little big explorers, with curiosity and enthusiasm, crossed the Reserve to discover the beauty and the vulnerability of its precious ecosystem, crossed the Reserve to discover the importance of biodiversity conservation and the devastating effects caused by human activities and the presence of plastics.

The children walked through the Mediterranean maquis observing the different coastal habitats, cleaning a stretch of beach, spotting animal species and plant endemisms and discovering the naturalistic, archaeological as well as historical importance of the Protected Area.

Curated by Dr. Maria Nilla Miccoli, Head of Communication for the Puglia Region of the CASCADE project, Dr. Franca Sangiorgio of the University of Salento and Dr. Rita Lecci of CMCC, the SeaLab allowed the students to study in deep the scientific aspects related to the marine and coastal areas of our planet, environmental vulnerability and fragmentation, and ecosystems.

The first event of the "You are what you sea" cycle on 29 September 2022, part of the Adriatic Seaside Festival, was organized to promote young people's knowledge of the Adriatic Sea, to raise awareness of environmental issues and to disseminate the cultural value of the sea, with particular reference to the Torre Guaceto protected area.