Written by Aimee Granzier, SSA Youth Influencer ECS
My name is Aimee Granzier and I am a Rover at the 1st Walmer Scout Group which is situated in Walmer, Port Elizabeth. We are very fortunate to have a large property that is right next to the Settlers Park Nature Reserve. However, because we are positioned on the edge of the hill, and PE is known as the Windy City, litter often blows into our grounds.
“We’re very lucky to have our hall overlooking the Baakens Valley” adds fellow Rover and Regional Young Leaders Representative Robert Hill. “However, lots of litter blows in from the street, and if it doesn’t get picked up, it ends up polluting the river below. As Rovers, our motto is Service, and we try to put this into practice by regularly clearing our hall and surroundings to keep our community clean. It’s very rewarding to see the difference we can make to make our community cleaner and safer.”
Every few months, members of 1st Walmer have to do a clean-up of our grounds and the area outside of it. This clean-up is something the Rovers, Scouts and Cubs have all participated in. When we do our clean ups, we can easily fill five to ten bags of rubbish. This rubbish is found entangled in bushes and trapped in our fences. We use this community service as an opportunity to educate our Cubs and Scouts about the importance of following the outdoor code and disposing of our rubbish appropriately, as well as encouragement to recycle.
“It all comes down to our motto as Rovers: “Service.” Picking up litter may be an easy task, but doing it around Cubs and young Scouts lays a foundation that will hopefully grow them into proud Rovers as well.”, adds Rover Aaron Applewhite.
For me personally, the main reason for doing this clean-up regularly is because we have a duty to protect our environment and the animals who live in it. A Scout is a friend to all animals and Settlers Park Nature Reserve is rich in bird life, small animals and other fauna that could be impacted by the rubbish if it were to blow down into the nature reserve. It is encouraging to be able to look at all the bags full of rubbish that are collected after a clean-up, because you understand that you have made a difference and have helped preserve the environment.
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