Welcome to Green Sail, Antonio!

The number of people supporting the Green Sail initiative is considerably growing and we are lucky to be supported by a large number of young forces. One of these young forces is Antonio, our newest Ambassador! Antonio has brought to the Green Sail table a contagious energy and love towards the Adriatic Sea and is definitely proof that when you are enthusiastic about a cause, your energy will be contagious and spread to others.

Giving your time to a cause you believe in and being committed to it on a regular basis can turn out to be a very rewarding experience. It was this enthusiasm that made him initiate a volunteer clean-up with the help of his family and friends, motivating many others to take action towards this cause.

We met with Antonio and discussed his efforts and plans to make a ecological difference within his community. His fun and honest spirit and reliable personality will definitely make a lasting impact with his work! This is what he had to say.

Q: Hi Antonio, how did you start cooperating with Green Sail? How are your interests connected to Green Sail?
A: I attended one of Green Sail's presentations, just for fun. But once I was there and they started telling us all of the facts that are horrible, it got to me...

Q: In the place where you live, how important is the message that the Green Sail initiative is promoting?
A: In my place especially, it is very important. Around the area where I live, 99% of people live out of tourism and the sea!

Q: Being a Green Sail Ambassador, how do you think you can help promote sustainable practices within your region?
A: Now my style might sound a bit funny but… by making everyone else feel bad. I won't be speaking too much or let people debate how things ”should be” or how someone should be doing this or that. I'll succeed in my style, simply by showing them, starting from myself, how easy it is to become “that guy” that is making a change. No matter who you are or what you do. A doctor, sailor, singer or even the president, we all live on the same planet, breathing the same air, under the same sun. If we think we are superior on this planet, well let's prove it by making it a better place.

Q: What can the the local community do to make Croatia a sustainable tourism destination and to keep the Adriatic Sea clean for future generations?
A: From a government point of view, all they need to do is support those of us who are actually doing something constructive. Support us by organizing recycle bins, slowly promoting products with no plastic (such as reusable bottles), etc. Let them be in the background helping with logistics and we can do the rest.

Q: There was a sea clean-up in Krilo recently which you initiated? Can you tell us something about the event, the progress and the results?
A: That was something that made me proud of myself and my local community. I come from Krilo and I can easily say it is a notorious place. It is the largest shipbuilding place in Croatia. What is good is that it offers a lot of jobs and develops tourism which in turn helps isolated islands become more popular. The downside is that a boat is a traveling hotel. Lots of pollution is left behind, especially when you have unaware guests as well. Also, I was so glad to hear all of the nice words from every single boat owner and builder, it made me even more motivated. Some of them were even mad that they could not help out during our first event. There is lots of room for improvement and that makes me happy.

Q: Was this clean-up enough to deal with this problem or should there be more activities like these in the future?
A: It was the first step. It was the main topic during the following weeks at every coffee table around town. This fact itself means it was a success. There should definitely be more actions like this. In this case I mean big actions, with real equipment, such as motor boats, diving gear, professional mechanical engineering etc. I want to make “ECO” a trend - a cool thing.

Q: What would be your message to individuals within tourism and nautical sector from a Green Sail Ambassador's perspective?
A: We need to change our mind set and stop waiting for someone to come and clean our mess. That “someone” is you, me, your mailman, the news reporter on the local television - everyone! We can all contribute by just improving a little and thinking twice when it comes to polluting. We have to realize that this is a global action - it is not up to a group of individuals. Then I think we have nothing to fear.

If you too would like to become a Green Sail ambasador, feel free to contact us here and start making a significant ecological impact within your local community!