With the recent storms, much more garbage than usual ended up on our beaches. This was especially true in the Puerto Nuevo neighborhood.
Click on any photo below to start the slideshow.
Cleanup Organizers
This well-organized event was sponsored by Activo Club 20-30 and the students from the Institute of Puerto Armuelles (a high school).
They supplied trash bags, water, and even gloves.
The sponsors did an excellent job collecting the dozens of bags participants filled with garbage.
The cleanup crews targeted the beaches of Puerto Nuevo, downtown, and San Vicente neighborhoods.
According to Wikipedia, Active 20-30 is an international service club focused on helping children and developing leadership skills in younger adults ages 20–39. In Latin America the group is called Activo 20-30 Internacional. In the United States and Canada the organization is called the Active 20-30 Club.
The Puerto Armuelles' Club Activo 20-30 has been active since it was formed in 1980. Check out their Facebook page here.
The number of community cleanup have been steadily increasing in Puerto Armuelles (and throughout Panama).
Feb. 26, 2019 clean up
Just a couple of months ago, on February 26th, there was a community clean-up of the stretch of beach starting at the mouth of the Rabo de Puerco river (pig's tail) in Rio Mar through Pueblo Nuevo and ending at the downtown pier.
The Feb. 26th cleanup was organized by the Ministry of the Environment in Puerto Armuelles (MiAmbiente).
A ton of trash was picked up: mostly plastics along with aluminum cans, glass, cardboard, and more.
Litter and trash is an issue through much of Central America.
You only have to visit to quickly realize that Central Americans, including Panamanians, seem to have a higher tolerance for litter and debris than most North Americans.
There are a number of reasons that there is much more litter and piles of trash in Panama than there is in the States. Thankfully, efforts to combat litter and pollution are growing both in the Panamanian government and in the community.
Find out more by reading my article about trash in Panama.
As Yilka Aguirre, regional director of MiAmbiente, said after the Feb 26th clean up in Puerto Armuelles:
"This cleaning day is done several times a year. It is not a solution, but it is a great contribution to the planet. We must encourage the correct handling of the waste because the garbage that we place incorrectly reaches the rivers, seas, and oceans."
I wish I had been in town to help with the cleanup. I have a friend to thank for the photos and her sense of the community event. Thank you!
