Action for Cleanup the Countryside – 6 May Po Toi Island & 12 August Tung Chung Bay
Green Sense is carrying out the project “ECF Say No to ‘Disposables’ – Less Disposables to Reduce Waste” funded by Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) and Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC).
The first Action for Cleanup the Countryside have been successfully held on 6 May 2018. Green Sense fellows with 34 volunteers went to Po Toi Island to clean up the waste and carry out an ecotour at the same time. The main purpose of the event is to arouse the public concerns of plastic waste problems and increase their awareness of environmental protection. Moreover, it is important to introduce the biodiversity in Hong Kong to the public and to understand the importance of our countryside.
It was a sunny Sunday. All volunteers gathered at Blake Pier, Stanley. Before taking the ferry to Po Toi Island, our tour guide explained safety concerns and eco-friendly hiking etiquette.
After arrival, many of us can immediately felt the peace and comfort of the natural environment. We were refreshed! We passed through some old stores and a diesel-electric set. We experienced their simple and austere lifestyle.
After passing the areas of residents, we visited to Po Toi School. Some volunteers were eager to clear the rubbish on the path right away. Po Toi School is a building with historical value. It reflected how was the school life in the past. Although it has been abandoned for decades, its structure maintains and we can even peek at the classroom through a broken window.
Walking along the coast, we arrived the Po Toi Rock Carvings which constructed over 3000 years. It is one of the declared monuments in Hong Kong. It consists two parts: One group on the left consists of lines resembling, while the other on the right is composed of spirals in an interlocking arrangement. Many of us spent a lot of time in taking photos with the carve. We were amazed the crave stood in good shape.
Volunteers started to clean the island. They were separated into two groups: One going uphill cleaning hiking trail and and the other for the coastal area. Many garbage was buried in the bush as Po Toi Island is a famous place for camping. Moreover, a lot of disposables were left there. For example, foam boxes, disposable utensils, aluminium cans, plastic bags and even LPG cylinders! The most difficult part for us is to collect a considerable amount of the “foam balls” which were naturally grind into different sizes. Even though it was hard to collecting the rubbish in high temperature, we were devoted to do so. All of us are willing to do more to compensate for the environment, and to protect the Earth.
After cleaning the island for a whole day, volunteers carried bags of waste and head to the pier after the waste audit. Plastic disposables account for the most. The amount of waste collected are shown below:
|
Waste collected |
|
| Foam Boxes | 30 kg |
| Plastic Bottles | 212 pcs |
| Aluminium Cans | 40 pcs |
| Glass Bottles | 24 pcs |
| Other Garbage | 12 kg |
| Other Metal | 0.5 kg |
Fortunately, some tourists were touched by our action and some of them promised to reduce the waste and minimize the pollution in the future . Public education are exactly means to influence the community altogether . All of us should set an example for our next generation by taking action in environmental protection.
CommentsIf you have missed the volunteer action in May, please enroll the next”Action for Cleanup the Countryside ” at Tung Chung Bay on 12th August. Please click https://goo.gl/rDKwVP for enrollment and information.
