The Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo has partnered with Oceana and the Belize Scouts Association for their Annual Coastal Cleanup Campaign, which was held this past Saturday, October 4, 2014. The cleanup campaign took place simultaneously around the Country of Belize.
This cleanup campaign is being viewed as having given an opportunity for the youths to explore on more ideas for projects to do in Belize’s communities; in order for it to be in a healthier environment. Members of the Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo took advantage of this opportunity over the weekend by signing up as volunteers for Oceana to assist and partner in future service initiatives.
“Thanks to the primary school students, the Catholic Youth Group from San Jose Succotz and last but not least to the members of the Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo, who assisted us in the event,” reports Macreena Puc in her blog, the Community Service Director, from the Rotaract Club of Benque Viejo.
“The event was a success and river banks of both Benque Viejo and Succotz are clean.”
According to Oceana, hundreds of volunteers were recruited to collect garbage along coastlines and river banks to promote cleaner communities as well as to raise awareness of the negative impacts of marine debris.
During the exercise every piece of trash which was collected was recorded and the information sent to the Ocean Conservancy to document the state of marine debris in Belizean waters.
According to the 2013 data, approximately 9300 pounds of trash was collected from twenty-seven (27) miles of coastline and waterways—fifty different locations.
Trash collected this year included plastics, styrofoam, aluminum wrappers and paper. There were other debris including car parts, tire rims and medical waste.
