More than Earth Hour report from Sarawak

Here's a short piece by Lasallian Maurice Wee in Sarawak.

Enjoy!!

On the 28th of March 2009, a group of volunteers gathered at the Reservoir Park at Jalan Taman Budaya to celebrate Earth Hour in a green way. The activity organised by the Lasallian society was aimed at giving back what Mother Nature has abundantly provided for us and to realize the sheer hard work needed to clean up the environment.

The group which consisted of 9 volunteers gathered at the park entrance at 2.oo p.m. After a short briefing and a black bag-giving ceremony, the volunteers were off to pick up rubbish around the reservoir. The reservoir is situated in the city centre and provides Kuchingites ample space for outdoor activities that is just a stone’s throw away. This reservoir is unique in a way as it is a haven for humans and nature alike. The park is surrounded by trees, housing birdlife, aquatic life and parking spaces. With all of this, the reservoir becomes an oasis in the desert for man and nature alike.

Everyone had a bag, including the cameraman

The volunteers started their work at 2.15 p.m. It was hard work for the volunteers as they had to work in the afternoon sun. Moreover, the reservoir was sadly littered with rubbish that was found in the thick bushes, on the side of the hills and in nooks and crannies that were especially hard and dangerous for the volunteers to reach. Nonetheless, no one was hurt during the duration of the activity and the volunteers left behind them a cleaner path for joggers and wildlife alike. The volunteers also took a 15 minute breather at a playground to regain energy and spirits. The time was also used to capture unforgettable moments on camera and reflect on how we felt at that moment. We made it back to the starting point at 4.15 p.m. near the reservoir park entrance to have a look at what we had collected in our Christmas sacks…

All our 9 black bags that were issued to every volunteer turned out to be half full which was an accomplishment for an individual 2 hour job that covered an average 1000 metres along the reservoir park. Our bags were opened and we had collected a list of things ranging from glass bottles, sweet wrappers, tissues, cigarette butts, news papers and even condom packets. We were in awe at what we had collected.

The necessary group picture!

However, that wasn’t all. Drenched in sweat and hands dirty from picking up rubbish, our volunteers had also managed to reflect on what they felt during the activity. The volunteers all agreed that they felt frustrated at the condition of the park. But most importantly, they also learned the hard work that was needed to clean up after others. What the volunteers felt was only a fraction to what people like janitors and road sweepers were going through each day. These people have to clean up after others and they are often looked down in the society as dirty and unwanted jobs. In reality, these people play an important part in keeping our environment clean and free of rubbish for us but society could only help by providing more rubbish and giving the same excuse to litter by comforting themselves saying, “that’s what these people are for,”.

We hope that what we did and felt through the whole activity will inspire more to do the same for the environment. Our volunteers left the park tired, sweaty and dirty but with a priceless feeling of self-satisfaction, having done something for the environment. May Earth Hour bring a significant change in how you treat mama nature in the future.

VIVA LASALLIANA

What have YOU done for the environment today?

(Starting to give excuses already?)

Black bag troopers ready!