Clean-up day for Lac Léman
Net' Léman - journée du grand nettoyage du Lac
Promoted by the Organisation des Yacht-Clubs et Ports Ecologiques, the annual initiative of "Net' Léman - journée du grand nettoyage du Lac" took place around the Geneva lake (Lac Léman) on the 22nd September 2007. From Geneva to Scienz, passing through Crans-près-Céligny, Morges, Lausanne Vidy, Vevey, Montreux -Territet, and Evian.
The initiative aimed at promoting a more sustainable life style, in harmony with the surrounding natural environment, influencing old and new generations, and encouraging them to reflect on the importance of reducing, recycling, and reusing as well as the problems derived from littering and pollution.
Throughout the day - recognizable from a symbolic light blue T-shirt - almost 700 volunteers of every age and provenance were busy with diving and shore clean-up activities; eight sectors with only four in Geneva, in particular on the harbor areas where there is most waste.
The Ramsar Secretariat, together with other local environmental organizations like ASL, CIPEL, Equiterre, I love my Planet, Pro Natura, and Serbeco, had stands at the lake side with the aim of raising public awareness amongst citizens and portraying educational activities for kids from 5 to12 years old.
At the end of the day around 10 tons of waste were collected, ranging from cans, plastic bags, bottles, car tires to more cumbersome and unimaginable things like bicycles, metal bed frames and shopping trolleys. (For more details have a look here.)
The Ramsar Secretariat extends congratulations to the organizers Amanda Melis, Christiane Tarab, and David Gély for this successful yearly event that involves more and more people in ensuring the protection of this beautiful lake and its natural resources!!!
Monica Zavagli and Evelyn Parh Moloko - Ramsar Secretariat
Amanda Melis giving instructions to the volunteers
Divers preparing their equipment
Volunteers in action
Kids' playground
Ramsar Assistant Regional Advisors looking after the kids (Evelyn Parh Moloko) . . .
(Monica Zavagli) . . . busy with pencils, scissors, glue . . .
Kids making wallets with recycled milk cardboard
For
further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact
the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Rue Mauverney 28,
CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169,
e-mail 
).
Posted 11 October 2007, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.
