Our first public webinar was held on Zoom on Tuesday 10th September 2024 with Switzerland for the Oceans and Water Revolution Foundation working together in support of Important Marine Mammal Areas with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) .. our guest speakers Robert van Tol, Dr. Vienna Eleuteri, and Dr. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara did share their knowledge about how you could be involved in supporting this critical blue conservation initiative.

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Blue Money meets Blue Conservation
This year, we brought together experts from the fields of Conservation and Finance, with the goal of discovering new types of financial options for the establishment and development of Marine Protected Areas.  By providing a platform that allows both parties to find common ground, the Forum reflects our purpose of bringing different groups together to explore, debate and reach consensus on how to help support Ocean Vitality.

Once again Switzerland for the Oceans led and hosted the Ocean Vitality Forum in Zürich.  We are grateful to every one who did take part and we are delighted to report that the Forum appears to be leading to real actions in the field.  Following the event this year, we received this comment from one of the participants: "I just wanted to congratulate you again for yesterday.  I think what you’re doing is inspired – mobilising Switzerland to protect ‘our common inheritance’." 

For the third year in a row, a team of cyclists and ocean vitality supporters were on their bicycles to fundraise under the flag of “Switzerland for the Oceans”.  Leaving from Zürich and cycling alongside Lake Zürich and the beautiful Pfannestiel area, the cyclists stopped at Guldenen to enjoy sandwiches and juice offered by Bäckerei Jung.  After a couple of hours, the team finished its ride with cakes and coffee at Rapperswil’s cosy Kaffee Klatsch" . Thank you everyone for your participation!

Carmelina Bonnano representing Switzerland for the Oceans reports from her visit to the Aeolian Islands: "Blue Marine Foundation has joined with circa 30 local artisan fishermen from Salina and Stromboli Islands, establishing a model of sustainable fishing in the Mediterranean. The ‘Code of Conduct’, is a voluntary agreement and best-practice way of fishing sustainably. Insulated fish boxes and ice machines have been introduced to improve the quality of the daily catch, as well as to encourage local economy and livelihood of small-scale fishery."

Claudia Heck at Switzerland for the Oceans announced: "We have created a club that uses the power of sport to promote ocean vitality. Sport is a passion but also a means to realign thoughts and actions. On this note, the cycling club offers its members the opportunity to enjoy sport in the company of like-minded people, take a moment to reflect on the threats to the oceans and what we should do about them. Club members are invited to get their friends and family involved as well by joining one of our events or by making a donation”

On Tuesday 2nd October 2018, Switzerland for the Oceans held the inaugural Ocean Vitality Forum in Downtown Zürich. The Forum brings together influential representatives from marine focused organisations, including not-for-profit foundations, research, education, commercial companies, activists, philanthropists, investors, and entrepreneurs, each of whom have an interest and impact on our oceans. The Forum is convened especially as a platform for individuals and groups based in Switzerland to gather in one central location to network, share knowledge, and explore potential synergies.

Two cycling teams set off to fundraise under the flag of Switzerland for the Oceans .. group one starting early morning left Zürich from the beautiful Nordiska Rowing Club .. after a mid-morning break, supported by Jung Bakery, the group cycled on to Bleiche Beiz Wald for a sponsored lunch .. then taking in climbs via the Zürioberland, to finally meet up at supporter KaffeeKlatsch to join with the second group, who had cycled from Zürich to Rapperswil in the afternoon .. covering a shorter distance but not falling behind at all in terms of fundraising! Join us on 15 September 2019 for the next edition ..

Charles Barber and Claudia Heck attended the 2018 Live Life Hub Event in Zurich to talk about their experience in shaping 100% volunteer based organisations and to raise awareness for Switzerland for the Oceans’ goal - to support Ocean Vitality. Thank you to everyone who did support and participate.

For World Oceans Day 2018, Booster Transform ran a series of charity classes at their three studios in Zurich for people to learn more about Switzerland for the Oceans and how they can make an impact personally. All classes were free with donations to Switzerland for the Oceans invited. Claudia Heck was available in-between classes for questions and discussion

Message from the hosts and organisers: "On behalf of Mr Robert Calcagno, CEO of the Oceanographic Institute, Foundation Albert I, Prince of Monaco and H.E. Mr Bernard Fautrier, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, we wish to thank you warmly for your participation and involvement in the 9th edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative held at National Museum of Scotland and Old College of the University of Edinburgh." Message back from Switzerland for the Oceans: "Thank you for the learning and sharing of support for ocean vitality".

The Mediterranean monk seal has suffered millennia of exploitation, persecution, and harassment, and today all that remain are a few widely separated, fragmented populations that occupy, collectively, only a small portion of the species’ original range. Hosted at Monaco Ocean Week, the main goal of this workshop was to learn, with each expert presenting his or her organisation's actions for Mediterranean and Atlantic coast monk seal populations, to generate interest on the part of funders and find synergies among experts and donors in the interest of the monk seal.

Plotting and presenting our way to win support for our campaign, we returned to Gstaad Yacht Club for an update on our 2017 achievements and an outlook to the 2018 initiatives being prepared.

1,000 kilometres distance, 22,500 metres elevation gain, 10 days on the road .. There are numerous people and organisations to thank for enabling this mighty event to take place. You can see all of their names and logos dotted around our website, but we mention here especially our intrepid cyclists Dörte, Arek, Christian, Cadel, Marianna, Henny, Claudia, Monika, Andrea, Timothy, Charles, Howard, and, and, and...

The TAG Heuer #MondayMonday flash sale auctioned off the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 worn by former professional cycling racer BMC Switzerland Ambassador, Cadel Evans as he cycled from Zürich to Monaco. The watched was signed by both Cadel and HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco .. with the profits going to Switzerland for the Oceans.

#DontCrackUnderPressure #TAGHeuer #CadelEvans
#Ride_BMC #oceanvitality #CH4oceans

Nestled on the Port of Monaco, the STARS’N’BARS sports bar and restaurant is an ecohub. The restaurant has hosted a multitude of film, music and sport legends. It was also the scene of Switzerland for the Oceans Post Event, the final episode of our Zürich to Monaco adventure being supported by Eva Mechler, BMC Switzerland, TAG Heuer, and the generosity of Stars'N'Bars.

Well we did finally arrive safely with no cuts or bruises in the Principality of Monaco. To be welcomed by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco himself was a rare moment and we will all enjoy lasting memories of that great Occasion... Cadel Evans looking shy as HSH Prince Albert makes his greeting... Claudia carrying her bicycle over the line as her chain had broken... Dörte presenting the Prince with a box of Swiss chocolates (what else?)... and the rather formal looking pose in front of the cameras!

This one day cycle ride from Zürich to Lucerne was the first leg of a much larger tour to Monaco and it proved to be extremely fruitful from an awareness and fundraising perspective. We are extremely thankful to all the incredible people who did contribute and take part.

Following in the footsteps the renowned marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle, we arrived for a presentation at Gstaad Yacht Club. Our first foray west of Zürich and very much part of our strategy to reach out to and include all the communities of Switzerland with our campaign! We very much hope that Gstaad Yacht Club will support Switzerland for the Oceans many years into the future.

At this point in time, Switzerland for the Oceans was being supported by volunteers from Deloitte Consulting, PartnerRe, British Swiss Chamber of Commerce, as well as individual entrepreneurs in the Zürich area. This event, which was arranged in collaboration with the International Human Resources Community in Switzerland, was on the subject of "Corporate Volunteering". Representatives from Amcor and Credit Suisse both explained about the benefits for their employees from being involved in corporate volunteering, and we explained why we believe that volunteering is a superb way to develop new skills and to gain new experiences.

With just a few weeks behind us since our inception, we were completely delighted that British Swiss Chamber of Commerce decided to nominate Switzerland for the Oceans as their BSCC Charity of the Year 2017. With the support of PartnerRe, we quickly organised a presentation to BSCC Members, and we were very pleased to win some new volunteers!

It felt like a great privilege for the fledgling Switzerland for the Oceans to be invited to join the 8th Edition of the Monaco Blue Initiative. And where we did discuss and learn about the global challenges of ocean management and conservation. For MBI 2017, the Focus centered on marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and aquaculture in the Mediterranean.

The combined initiative of Charles Barber and Claudia Heck to establish Switzerland for the Oceans was a direct result of their participation as rider and fundraiser in the inaugural London to Monaco Cycle Ride.  Raising considerable sums of money for Blue Marine Foundation, the event was created by Winch Design in London .. and we applaud the Winch commitment to ocean vitality and we thank them for our initial inspiration. 

“Oceans are more than ever at the heart of our common future. The London to Monaco Cycle Ride is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness of the necessity to protect our fragile oceans.” HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco