Durban’s Blue Lagoon was a hive of activity as more than 80 people came together to clean up the popular beach as part of an initiative led by Restonic iDream Beds on Thursday 8 September.
The clean-up team included representatives from The Mattress Warehouse, Green Corridors and WESSA, as well as schoolchildren and teachers from St James School together with Durban’s young environmentalist Romario Valentine, who is best known for his book, Protect Our Planet. The day started off with an induction where Siphiwe Rakgabale, Green Corridors’ Litterboom Coordinator, spoke about what the organisation is doing, what litter booms are and why they’re important to the environment. He said: “Many of our communities find themselves living between the edges of the built environment and often-stressed natural open spaces. Rather than being community assets worth protecting, these habitats become the thorn in the community’s side, with anti-social behaviour, poor environmental management and illegal activity draining socio-economic, civic and ecological value.”
“The reality is that basic waste management and recycling practises are not wall-to-wall across our communities. The issue of caring for natural habitat and the protection and restoration of land and river environments by local communities is still being fostered. Our eco-restoration goal is to see our land, rivers and oceans conserved, managed and sustainably used. To do this, we drive community awareness and active involvement in open space care and management with a focus on,” said Rakgabale. His sentiments were shared by eleven-year-old uMhlanga resident, Valentine, who began his journey as an eco-warrior at the age of six, after discovering the damage that pollutants were doing to marine life. “I realised this could lead to their extinction and cause an imbalance in the ocean’s ecosystem which could impact us too. The oceans give us oxygen and food. Marine animals such as turtles keep our oceans clean. I believe it is my mission to help protect endangered species and biodiversity. It is important for our own survival,” said Valentine.
He encouraged the youth present by saying: “We are the citizens of the future. It is up to us to take care of our planet. When we take care of nature, we take care of ourselves.”
