Have you ever thought of how plastics destroy the environment and endanger ecosystems? In pursuit of sustainable environments and protection of endangered species. 3Es Experience on the 9th of July 2020 joined different partners, among them, the Kenya Wildlife Service, Tour Operators Society of Kenya pushing sustainable travel and tourism agenda among other partners not forgetting media personality Anto Neosoul for a clean-up activity around the Nairobi National Park.
The people present were distributed into three key groups namely Simba, Kifaru and Ndovu. The naming is key because of the pride we all have in the big five and tourism travel in most cases to see and protect the slowly reducing numbers of these animals to poaching.
Armed with our masks, gloves, slashers, machetes and different clean-up equipment, different teams conducted different clean-up activities around the park such as slashing of outgrown weeds, trimming the long grass, and not forgetting the collection and disposal of litter, which was the main activity aimed at keeping our parks plastic free. The clean-up exercise was also aimed at educating the public on the importance of keeping our parks clean.
Just the other day, following a presidential directive from the 2019's World Environment Day, on 5th June 2020, the ban on plastics took effect, banning visitors from carrying plastic water bottles, cups, disposable plates, cutlery or straws into National parks, beaches, forests and conservation areas. It is evident that a plastic bag or simply a bottle cap has killed animals by entanglement, strangulation, suffocation or starvation, it simply has to wait for its victim to decompose to be released back into the environment. Plastic does not decompose - it will be ready to kill again soon.
Though we can't say much about the other teams, the Simba team that 3Es was part of, under the leadership of a great community and education warden from the Nairobi National Park, Mwanahamisi Twalib, the team was able to clean, network with partners as well as learn about why conducting such activities and promoting the culture is key to the preservation of these resources for our future generations.
Our efforts are just minute efforts on this great and important journey of environmental preservation and protection of endangered species but a combination of these small from all of us can go a long way. Let’s all join forces in protecting our environment, wildlife and the tourism sector which through different professions provides for the needs of millions through employment
Remember to stay tuned, subscribe to our newsletters so that you don't miss out on more upcoming impactful missions on environmental conservation and livelihoods that you can be part of.
In the meantime, remember to stay safe, maintain social distancing, wash your hands for 20 seconds or sanitize often especially before and after coming into contact with surfaces and others, always wear your mask in public and follow guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health and WHO.
Till the next article. Chao!
By
Admin,
3Es Experience.