Voluntary work; cleaning beaches and mountains

Every single year, tonnes of rubbish and waste products are disposed of both in the sea, and in the hillsides, and this vast quantity of litter pollutes our natural environments. The coming generations should be able to enjoy clean beaches, and an ocean full of life, where biodiversity and respect to all species is at least one banner under which can we unite in our so-called “civilised” world.

Our Spanish school wants to make its contribution by cleaning beaches and mountains in an act of solidarity and love for nature and the environment. That’s why we have organised weekly youth groups that cross the beaches with grabbers and recycling bags, bit by bit picking up kilos of rubbish, and separating it into cardboard, plastic and paper. The work is as plentiful as the motivation one has to complete it. Unfortunately, the irreparable damage that we have already done to our seas and mountains shows our lack of social conscience. However, with great effort and much enthusiasm our volunteers use their critical thinking to approach pointedly the areas in which the most rubbish has accumulated, in order to leave it free of all such waste products, true heaps of shame given form.

The trouble is that there are many who pass through the beaches and the mountains, leaving kilos upon kilos of plastics among innumerable weeds, and despite grumblings and complaints no one does anything, expecting others to come and clean it up. The time has come to do something, to use initiative and take action, and it is for this reason that our volunteers, who are also students of Spanish, take this opportunity to practice their language skills by speaking with those in the local area affected by the waste, who often show great appreciation for their humanitarian act.

Marine life is crucial for preserving the health of our planet. We remind you that as of now only a third of all ocean species have been identified. If we look after the health of our mountains and seas we will be able to find less importance in vain things and we will leave a better world to our children.

Since implementing our action plan in solidarity with the seas & mountainsides, we have collected over 2,000 kilos of rubbish. We have investigated how the temperature of the ocean has risen to historic levels, as we continue to exploit and exhaust the sea with rampant overfishing, without any possibility of regrowth or regeneration for many species, with fleets of commercial and cruise ships peacefully traversing the sea, polluting as they go, etc. Before long our blue planet will come to be grey or even black. There ought to be a climate support fund to finance the protection of our seas, that might put in place marine protection zones.

The recognition that our volunteers receive is a shining example for children who will see how doing something for biodiversity leads to being able to help create a world that is more habitable and undoubtedly happier.