The III International SAVE Conference (Sustainability, Action, Volunteering and Environment) has kicked off, focusing on the integration of scientific knowledge, university education, intersectoral collaboration, and direct action to address socio-environmental challenges. The main activities are taking place from today until 22 October in Alicante and Calp, alongside various international initiatives in Chile, Bolivia, and Brazil.
This third edition follows the success of the previous two conferences, which attracted over 350 participants and facilitated the removal of more than 2,000 kg of waste from terrestrial and marine natural spaces.
The University of Alicante plays a central role in organising the event through various university units, including the Calp University Headquarters, the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Department of Sociology I, and the Student Council. The event is coordinated by professors and researchers Iker Jimeno, Josep Tur-Vives, and Pablo Aznar-Crespo.
The programme began with “SAVE Coast to Coast,” a meeting with the International Research Network PROLITORAL from the Federal University of Maranhão. These meetings aim to strengthen scientific, territorial, and environmental cooperation between the two universities and their coastal contexts.
On 16 October, the Alicante Scientific Park (PCA) will host “SAVE Talks: Voices for Sustainability.” The official opening will be led by Raúl Ruiz Callado, Vice-Rector for Students and Employment, alongside Claudia Romero Pérez, representing the Student Council (CEUA). The morning session will cover topics such as marine biodiversity conservation, state administration competencies, sustainability and shared value generation, actions in the Amazonian coastline, innovation to mitigate pollution, volunteering and collective action, and projects for the protection of the Valencian coastline. This session will bring together faculty and researchers from various universities with representatives from public administrations, businesses, and social and environmental organisations.
On Saturday, 17 October, activities will move to the Calp University Headquarters, where four parallel actions (SAVE Action) related to the marine environment will take place: “Shared Seas,” focusing on the extraction and characterisation of submerged waste in the natural marine environment of the Peñón de Ifac; “Immersive Marine Classroom,” involving students from the University of Alicante’s Marine Sciences degree in an applied learning experience through light extraction and characterisation of waste; “Arena sin Huella (I),” a citizen science activity at Cala Racó (Calp), coordinated by Bioplastic Lab and Ambiente Europeo, as part of the European Viss Project; and “Flora MareNostrum,” which involves the restoration of Posidonia oceanica meadows in collaboration with the ECOMAR Foundation, under the Action Posidonia project aimed at advancing large-scale replanting techniques for this ecosystem in the Mediterranean.
The programme in Spain will conclude on Thursday, 22 October, with “SAVE International Xperience,” which will gather national and international specialists online. Following a presentation on urban climate adaptation, four round tables will focus on territorial governance and risk management, marine ecosystems and coastal resilience, volunteering and social responsibility, and socio-ecological challenges.
