This press release has been published by EurekAlert! and AlphaGalileo.

Following the successful launch of its first comic book in 2025, the SpongeBoost project continues to emphasise the importance of enhancing and restoring the natural water retention capacities of landscapes through creative storytelling.

The second volume, New directions: Guided by nature, synthesises information for policy-making, practical restoration and land-use planning, while showcasing successful examples of sponge restoration and its multiple benefits. 

Creatively illustrated by Melissa Harms and Nele Schacht from parzelle34, the story follows Spongy, SpongeBoost's original comic book character, as he continues his journey through wetlands and other sponge landscapes.

The comic book can now be accessed on the SpongeBoost website and on Zenodo. It is available in nine languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Bulgarian, Czech, Estonian, Dutch and Portuguese, making Spongy's latest adventures available to a wider audience.

Through the continued development of the comic book series, SpongeBoost aims to communicate the value of sponge landscapes in an engaging and accessible way, helping to bring restoration knowledge closer to policymakers, practitioners and the wider public.

Find the SpongeBoost project on social media on LinkedIn, Instagram and Bluesky.