The second day of the Think Global Act Local visit

A study visit to Poland as part of the Think Global Act Local project is underway. Today, representatives of local authorities and organisations from Romania, Italy, Greece and Spain had the opportunity to visit areas in Warmia and Mazury. The guests were first welcomed by the Municipality of Górowo Iławeckie, and the first place visited was the school complex, where, among other things, children from the Ukrainian minority study. School representatives presented the school's modernly equipped classrooms, talked about the innovative approach to learning used at the school and about the interest groups which are active within the school to intensify children's integration. The teachers were also proud to mention that they obtain a number of EU grants for which they apply themselves. The culmination of the visit to the school was a performance by children from a song and dance ensemble, prepared especially for the occasion, so that our guests could learn some of the Eastern culture.

From the school we went to the Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital in Górowo Iławeckie, where the director of the hospital talked about the mission and plans of the facility. We also learned about the plans for the development of the SPA complex in Górowo Iławeckie, which is an example of the dynamic development of spa infrastructure in the region.

The next place visited was the kindergarten in Bartąg, in the municipality of Stawiguda. The purpose of the visit was to present the facility as an excellent place for people-to-people cooperation in the municipality. Representatives of the kindergarten talked about their daily life and initiatives. The kindergarten in Bartąg is an example of EU funds put to good use, with the commune providing the infrastructure, and the grounds developed and modernised with EU funds. The mayor of the Stawiguda commune emphasised that one should strive to create communities based on the European Union, where it is possible to exchange experiences and support each other by transferring good practices to their local communities. The presentation of the facility was honoured by a performance by kindergarten children. After the visit to the kindergarten, we went to the nearby Aromapark in Bartążek, also created with EU funds, where the success of the project can be attributed to the cooperation of the office with local residents. The park is planted with plants with unusual aromatic qualities and is situated in unusual natural surroundings. The initiators of the concept were students of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, and the final choice, from several other design proposals, was made by the inhabitants of the village.

From the Stawiguda commune we headed towards the Olsztynek commune, to the Folk Architecture Museum - Ethnographic Park in Olsztynek, often referred to simply as an open-air museum. The museum's sizable grounds house 80 objects of large and small rural architecture from Warmia, Mazury, Powiśle and Mała Litwa. The interiors take visitors back in time, introducing them to the history, ancient culture and art of the region.

The third day of the study visit is still ahead of us. Tomorrow we will visit selected municipalities in the Pomorskie Voivodeship.

TGAL - first day of study visit in Poland

The Tink Global Act Local project is a pilot project bringing together cities and municipalities from five European countries - Romania, Italy, Greece, Spain and Poland - with the aim of involving their citizens more effectively in the life of their communities, while creating a sustainable strategy for cooperation and exchange of good practice at EU level.

Today we welcomed delegations from Spain, Romania, Italy and Greece to Elbląg. The official part of the meeting took place in the Elbląg Townhouses. Our guests had the opportunity to learn more about the history, the idea of international cooperation and future initiatives of Elbląg. Each partner then took the floor, presenting the priorities of their own local policy.

After the official part, the group went to the Elbląg Library to see the exhibition entitled Elkamera - Interactive Exhibition of Old Books and Newspapers. During a walk through the exhibition, located in the basement of the building, one could see the Gutenberg press up close, learn about the origins and history of the development of printing and the creation of books. We listened to the history of the establishment of the grammar school in Elbląg, learned about the rich history of the hospital buildings and the history of the Elbląg Canal. We also had the opportunity to familiarise ourselves with the historic book collections.

After the visit to the library, we visited the Elbląg Technology Park, where a presentation was given on the activities of the Park, the role of the institution for local entrepreneurs, scientists and everyone from the wider business and science environment. The offer for entrepreneurs was presented. We were also able to find out how the Elbląg Technology Park supports Start-ups and facilitates investors' activities. After the theoretical part, we went to the ETP lab to learn about the details of the work.

Then we went to the Grupa Wodna marina, where attractions awaited our guests in the form of a mini canoe trip and a tour of the Elbląg riverfront on the Pomeranka boat. We learned about the brief history of the Schihau factory, saw the historic crane and admired the beauty of the surroundings from the position of the water. We also travelled along the waterway by motorboat towards the Vistula Lagoon, where our partners had the opportunity to see with their own eyes the beauty of the flora and fauna of Elbląg and the surrounding area.

Tomorrow we will spend the day introducing our guests to the activities of the municipalities and residents in Górowo Iławeckie, Bartág and Olsztynek.

GreenUp - online meeting

A staff meeting of the Green Up project was held today. We briefly discussed current issues related to the project, the tasks completed and the schedule of future activities. The topic of project promotion and communication was discussed. We agreed on the details of the study visit to Greece and the September visits to Dzierzgoń and Braniewo.

A program co-financing activities under the project.: Active Citizens - Regional Fund

Project Partners:- Association for the Development of Cooperative and Local Entrepreneurship WAMA-COOP - Project Leader - Association of Polish Communities Euroregion Baltic - Elbląg Technology Park - Fonix A.S.

NURSECOAST-II - online meeting

As every fortnight, we also attended the regular meeting of the NURSECOAST-II project partners today, 29 August. During the online meeting, the project partners shared the progress of the project objectives. We talked about consultations, study visits and future reports. We also tried to set a preliminary agenda for the meeting planned for October. And tomorrow we will meet again, this time with our external experts, to work on the advanced technologies that will be used in the planned wastewater treatment plant.

WaterMan - study visit and talks with experts in Denmark

Our Association is actively involved in many initiatives related to the environment on many levels. The issue of water reuse appears to be one of the priority activities. We are active in this extremely important area by educating, promoting good practices, cooperating with cities and municipalities by activating and supporting their local activities in the above topics. We recently visited Denmark, implementing the next phase of the WaterMan project, the idea of which is to promote water reuse in the Baltic Sea region through capacity building at the local level.

The first day of the WaterMan project was devoted to a study visit to Kalundborg. The project partners visited the 'Kalundborg Symbiosis', which deals with the treatment of water used, among other things, in industry. It is a consortium of sixteen public and private companies, established back in the 1970s, which developed the world's first industrial symbiosis with a circular approach to production. The core principle of Kalundborg Symbiosis is to create partnerships locally to share and reuse resources, thus saving water. Symbiosis creates growth in the local community and supports green transformation.

At the site we visited, we were able to see the test system, made as part of the ULTIMATE project pilot. The treatment plant produces very good quality water, which is used to cool the machinery. We were given a tour of the Kalundborg Utility Team's facility, where experts were waiting for us, ready to provide any information related to the topic at hand.

The second day in Denmark was devoted to the work on the WaterMan project pilots. The project partners implementing these pilots presented the stage they are at and presented the next steps planned. The aim of the partner and expert review was to provide feedback to the WaterMan partners on their plans and considerations, i.e. prior to the implementation of investments related to the pilot activities. Experts from each country evaluated the selected solutions and advised on opportunities to improve the pilot.

It should be added that the activities of the WaterMan project, in addition to carrying out pilots, are also related to spreading the idea of promoting water reuse methods.

A day with climate in Sztum - September 9, 2023

On Saturday, September 9, 2023, the second round of Climate Day was organized as part of the Sztum Circular Economy project. The event was included in the celebration of the Sztum Land Days, thanks to which the project leader could reach a larger audience with the activity.

During the event, there was a presentation on waste management and the impact of human activities on the environment. A competition in the form of a knowledge quiz for residents was conducted by the Gdańsk University of Technology.

Just like last year, a stand was organized where ladies from the housewives' club showed how to cook using whole products.

A game was also organized in which residents had to sort waste correctly. The positive news is that most people can sort waste well.

Let us remind about the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which assume changing the world while respecting the environment, thinking about future generations and taking into account the least privileged social groups. The project's assumptions and its activities fit perfectly into several sustainable development goals, including: