Living in a big city like Beijing is fun and exciting. But every now and then, we all need a nature escape. Forest parks in the Beijing countryside are perfect for family hikes or adventurous expeditions. Unfortunately, however, it’s not uncommon to come across empty bottles and plastic wrappers littering the bushes.
Luckily, you now have the opportunity to pick that bottle and wrapper up and leave your favorite nature trails spotless, all while having a great time! Cleaning Up Beijing is the continuation of a project I initiated in Jerusalem. Over the past eight months, we’ve gathered a group of 40 participants and hosted ten cleanups, including at Xiangshan, the Great Wall, Olympic Forest Park, and more. After receiving ACAMIS funding, I wanted to take this project a step further and clean up the countryside where litter is more prevalent.
Within the city, there are professional cleaners responsible for every road and public park. However, in the countryside, forest parks are left unattended and trash often stays for years before disintegrating into nature, and much of it never actually breaks down. For non-biodegradable materials, this process severely damages wildlife, interfering with plant growth and poisoning animals.
If you’re a student who is passionate about the environment, or a family looking for a weekend getaway from the city, Cleaning Up Beijing is the perfect opportunity for you! We will stay at a village guesthouse for a weekend, and during the day, we will clean up the village and its surrounding mountains. Aside from that, however, we will eat at Nong Jia Les (local restaurants) and have a chance to explore the area. The exact date and location for our next meet-up are to be determined.
This was our trip last weekend in Changping:
To find out more, you can join our group chat by scanning the QR code below or add me on WeChat, qinglanjerusalem or 13261649331.
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Images: Zhen Du, Yu Guo
