Lesson in clean-up
MOST people's idea of a relaxing, enjoyable Saturday morning is not wading around a muddy stream in the rain, picking up rubbish.
Nonetheless that was exactly how 75 students, staff and assorted friends from the South East Asian Canadian Overseas Secondary School spent last Saturday.
For the second year running, the school organised a stream clean-up in Sha Tin, as part of its Geography class's ''World Issues''. World Issues teacher Mr David Brian, said: ''The classroom goes beyond the four walls, we wanted to do something practical.'' Last year the school had come to the same stream near Tsok Pok Hang in Sha Tin and had collected three tonnes of rubbish, including a discarded motor-cycle. This year they collected five tonnes, in two hours.
The school performed tests on the stream's water quality two weeks ago, and found it to be very clean, as it runs straight off the mountain.
Unfortunately, the dumping of rubbish has messed it up, and turned it into an eyesore. Carrier bags, drink cans, barbecue forks, pieces of styrofoam, car parts and even a four-wheel cycle, were all found in the 100-yard stretch of the stream covered in the clean-up.
The school had the help of the Regional Council, which had provided equipment such as gloves and rubbish bags, and caps and T-shirts for the volunteers, as well as helping to remove the rubbish to the dump. Support also came from Coca-Cola, which donatedsix cases of Coke to help fuel the volunteers.
Mr Brian went on to explain how he hoped that by performing such a public service, they could promote awareness in the local community, do something positive for the environment, and at the same time, show that the school cares.
The students and some friends from Seeker Chan International School expressed a real interest in promoting environmental awareness, especially in Hongkong, where the environment is often overlooked, and not really protected.
One of the students said: ''It was quite fun even though it was wet and muddy, and we feel we have helped the environment and promoted awareness in the community.'' This sentiment was echoed by another staff member, who happens to live nearby. He said that local residents were right behind the school in its efforts to clean up the stream.
''If each school came out for one day each year, for one hour, it would really make a difference,'' he said.
The school hopes to get other schools involved next year, by broadcasting on the Citilink computer network. Mr Brian would like each school to adopt a stream and then one weekend each year, all the schools can go out and spend a couple of hours cleaning up their stream.
Everyone involved in the clean-up, including school principal Mr Alvin Gillies, had a good time, scrambling about in the mud, and filling a mountain of black rubbish bags.
There was even a competition for the first person to find part of a bicycle or part of a refrigerator.
