As part of dm's commendable competition "Together for Green Ideas 2025," which this year attracted as many as 185 applications for ecological projects throughout Croatia, 18 of the best were selected, and among them, a project from the historic town of Nina also stood out. This competition, with a total fund exceeding 74.000 euros, aims to support initiatives that promote sustainability, environmental protection, nature and biodiversity conservation, and the fight against climate change.

The ceremonial awarding of donation funds to the Tourist Board of the Town of Nina will symbolically take place tomorrow, June 5, 2025, on World Environment Day. The event is scheduled for 10:00 AM on the famous Queen's Beach, known as the longest sandy beach in Croatia. The meeting point will be at access 1, near Punta, which is important information for all participants, considering that this spacious beach has three main entrances.

Project "Celebrating the 1100th Anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom - let's preserve Queen's Beach"

The project of the Tourist Board of the Town of Nina, which successfully passed dm's competition, bears the symbolic name "Celebrating the 1100th Anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom - let's preserve Queen's Beach". This name skillfully connects an important national jubilee, the 1100th anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom, which is being celebrated during 2025, with the concrete need to protect one of the most recognizable symbols of the Nin Riviera. The legend about the origin of the beach's name, which dates back to the time of the first Croatian king Tomislav and his wife, the queen, who allegedly enjoyed the benefits of Nin's sand and medicinal mud, further enriched the project's story and emphasized its cultural and historical relevance.

Marija Dejanović, director of the Tourist Board of the Town of Nina, expressed great satisfaction with the funds received: "Thanks to the commendable project 'Together for Green Ideas', this year we have the opportunity to significantly contribute to increasing the quality of stay on our beach and creating a more humane environment for visitors. Namely, there are numerous complaints from tourists that cigarette butts are found in the sand where small children play, and this project will reduce their quantity. At the same time, we expect that information boards and the ashtrays offered will raise awareness among our smokers that a sandy beach is not a place for disposing of cigarette butts." She also expressed gratitude to dm for recognizing the importance of the project, thereby jointly emphasizing care for the preservation of the unique Croatian lagoon. She also announced that this is just the beginning of a more systematic approach to the problem of cigarette butts, and after the completion of this project, the procurement of information boards, dispensers, and ashtrays is planned for other beaches in the area of the Town of Nina.

Concrete measures for a cleaner beach

The approved funds will be directed towards a series of concrete activities. Key is the procurement of four modern information panels. These panels will not only serve to educate visitors about the importance of environmental conservation but will also be equipped with dispensers for disposable, biodegradable ashtrays. The procurement of as many as 8000 such ashtrays is planned, which smokers will be able to take free of charge. This directly impacts the reduction of the number of cigarette butts on the sand and in the shallow water, thus preventing them from being carried into the sea by tides. Cigarette butts pose a serious ecological problem because they contain plastic and numerous toxic substances that harm marine organisms and pollute the environment in the long term. Their decomposition in nature takes years, and the chemicals they release can be lethal to fish and other marine animals. Funds have also been secured for volunteers who will participate in the beach cleaning action and for other accompanying activities that will contribute to the project's success.

Broader support and educational character of the action

This commendable ecological project is not being carried out in isolation but with the strong support of the Public Institution Natura Jadera, which manages the protected nature areas of Zadar County. Queen's Beach and the surrounding area are part of the NATURA 2000 ecological network, a system of protected areas of the European Union aimed at preserving endangered species and habitat types. The role of Natura Jadera is crucial in ensuring that all activities are carried out in accordance with the principles of nature protection and sustainable use of natural resources.

In the ecological cleaning action, along with the employees of the Tourist Board of the Town of Nina and the Natura Jadera team, dm volunteers, local renters, and residents of Nina and surrounding places will also participate. Particularly pleasing is the involvement of the youngest – first-grade students of the "Petar Zoranić Nin" Elementary School. They will learn about the importance of environmental conservation in a practical and fun way, through a competition in collecting cigarette butts. This segment of the project has exceptional educational value, instilling ecological awareness in children from an early age.

Expert lecture for all generations

Additional value to the entire initiative will be given by a field educational lecture that will be held during the cleaning action by marine biology professor Melita Mokos from the University of Zadar. The lecture titled "Let's save the queen/The beach is not a place for waste" will be adapted for both children and adults. Professor Mokos is known for her work in popularizing science and educating about the sea, especially the problem of marine litter and microplastics, and her expert presentation will certainly contribute to a better understanding of the problem and motivate participants to behave more responsibly.

The organizers invite all interested citizens and visitors to join the cleaning action tomorrow, June 5, 2025, starting at 10 AM. The goal is to remove cigarette butts and other litter from the sand of Queen's Beach with joint efforts. Although the local utility company regularly takes care of the cleanliness of the beaches, with the increase in the number of bathers during the season, the pressure on the beaches increases. Unfortunately, there is still a part of visitors who do not have sufficiently developed awareness of proper waste disposal. Therefore, such ecological actions, the celebration of World Environment Day, and educational lectures are extremely useful tools for raising awareness and encouraging behavioral changes, so that natural beauties like Queen's Beach in Nina remain preserved for future generations.

Queen's Beach, with its fine sand and shallow sea, is ideal for families with children, and it is also known for the medicinal mud found in its immediate vicinity. Its natural configuration and biodiversity make it unique on the Adriatic. Preserving such a pearl of nature requires continuous effort and cooperation of all stakeholders, from the local community and tourism workers to the visitors themselves. The project "Celebrating the 1100th Anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom - let's preserve Queen's Beach" is an important step in that direction, showing how the synergy of local initiative, business sector support, and active community involvement can achieve significant positive progress in environmental protection. The town of Nina, as the oldest Croatian royal town, hereby once again confirms its commitment to preserving both cultural and natural heritage.

The NATURA 2000 ecological network, within which the wider area of the Nin Lagoon is located, represents a key instrument of the European Union for the protection of biological diversity. The aim of the network is to ensure the long-term survival of the most valuable and endangered species and habitats. Therefore, projects like this one in Nin, which directly contribute to reducing pollution and raising awareness about the importance of preserving these areas, are of exceptional importance not only at the local, but also at the national and European level. The successful implementation of this project will serve as an example of good practice and an incentive for others for similar initiatives aimed at protecting our common natural heritage.