The Travel Corporation’s TreadRight Foundation has announced a new collaboration with Venice’s Barena Association that aims to preserve the Northern Venetian Lagoon’s unique environment and cultural heritage.
The not-for-profit TreadRight Foundation’s latest nature-based funding initiative focuses on preserving an area of Venice’s wetland environment, diverse fauna and flora, and the rich culture and traditions surrounding the lagoons.
The lagoon’s distinctive habitats are rapidly disappearing through erosion, primarily due to human impact. Barena Association’s flagship project, “SOS Barena,” aims to protect and restore sections of the intertidal salt marshes in the Northern Venetian Lagoon, locally known as “Barene.”
TreadRight’s grant will be instrumental in the construction of up to 150 metres of biodegradable barriers called fascines, which will be installed with the support of local fishermen. Once installed, sediment will be pumped between the fascines and the marsh’s edge. These fascines will shield the marshes from waves and help root systems develop in the mud, thereby safeguarding the marsh soil from further erosion.
Shannon Guihan, Chief Sustainability Officer at The Travel Corporation and Head of TreadRight, highlighted why they were getting involved. “As one of Italy’s largest coastal wetlands, the Venice Lagoon is not just of deep significance environmentally but also culturally. Our newest nature-based solution partner, Barena Association, acknowledges this beautifully by harnessing the knowledge and skillset of the local fishermen, who design and install interventions to stall rapid erosion and maintain the lagoon’s power to trap carbon,” says Guihan.
“The Barene is critical to the unique ecosystem that encompasses Venice, and we are exceptionally pleased to champion this initiative through our TreadRight grant,” she adds.
Salt marshes not only host rich biodiversity in terms of habitats and fauna such as water birds and flora but are also one of the ecosystems that sequester the most carbon per unit surface. This project will allow Barena Association to avoid CO2 emissions in the range of 17.7 – 59.3 tonnes, achieved through the carbon sequestration capability of the habitats, which would otherwise be eroded without protection.
At the core of the SOS Barena project is the involvement of the local fishermen and other community members in designing and implementing these conservation actions. With their knowledge and intimate connection to the lagoon, the Barena Association aims to establish an approach that will be sustainable, long-term, and both ecologically and socially beneficial.
Allison Zurfluh, President of the Barena Association, highlighted the project’s dual benefits. “Saltmarshes effectively absorb carbon emissions, which makes them crucial in addressing climate change, but they also enable traditional fishing culture to thrive—and that is paramount to ecological sustainability,” says Zurfluh.
“In the northern Venice Lagoon, we are committed to nature-based solutions installed by traditional Buranello fishermen not only to protect and restore these valuable saltmarshes, but because the methods we use directly support their lifestyle as custodians of the lagoon. We believe in what we are doing and are passionate about it. Our gratitude to the TreadRight Foundation runs deep,” he adds.
Venice has become a tarnished icon of overtourism, community pushback and extreme weather events in recent years.
The local government took action and introduced a controversial tourist tax earlier this year. Venice officials are now considering doubling the controversial tourist tax to €10 (AU$16) after a successful first summer trial, which generated €2.4 million (AU$4 million) to help better manage the impact of overtourism in the city.
The trial followed Venice’s broader efforts to manage over-tourism and preserve its cultural heritage, including prohibiting large cruise ships from entering the delicate Venetian and setting limits on tourist group sizes. From 1 June 2024, parties exploring the historic centre and nearby islands of Murano, Burano, and Torcello were capped at 25 people, half the capacity of a typical tourist coach.
This new regenerative partnership with Barena Association aligns with TreadRight’s broader mission to support nature-based solutions that benefit both the environment and local communities.
Since 2008, TreadRight has supported more than 60 projects worldwide. In alignment with TTC Tour Brands’ net-zero ambition and Climate Action Plan, the foundation now prioritises support for nature-based solutions to the climate crisis, helping local communities become more resilient to climate change.
TreadRight.org
barenaassociation.ch
Note: The Northern Venetian Lagoon is a protected area in critical need of restoration. The Travel Corporation does not encourage its visitation. You can help sustain the lagoon by respectfully not travelling there.
