Water, something so essential to life on earth; yet taken so for granted. 

About 71 percent of our world is made up of this cool liquid substance. This substance not only provides a home to marine life but is also essential for the survival of all living organisms on this planet. 

Yet today, large bodies of this substance are woefully trashed, by our own species. Thankfully, steps are being taken to help return our oceans to the state they once found themselves in, before the poison touch of humans eroded it. 

Every year the high school service club SAVE is involved in an abundance of activities to better the environment! This year they announced that they would be attending the annual International Coastal Cleanup Singapore (ICCS)! 

The ICCS was first established by the Ocean Conservancy, an organization that has been working since 1972 to “ensure that our oceans provide a healthy environment for an abundant and diverse population of marine animals.” The ICCS is part of the international programme organized by Ocean Conservancy, which is now located at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research. 

They are involved in mangrove cleanups and beach cleanups on two successive Saturdays in September. All the trash which collected is then itemized, categorized and weighed. The information is then sent to the Ocean Conservancy organization. Furthermore, the data then becomes part of international documentation, which is used by other officials. 

This year the 26th ICCS was held in the Lim Chu Kang East mangroves. Student volunteers woke up on Saturday, September 9, ready to make the world a better place. Although they had to report to school by 7.30 a.m., the gratitude and satisfaction of being part of something this big, made it worth their while. Additionally, the collection of data on marine debris would help researchers, environmentalists, and other conservation professionals in their work. 

While doing something beneficial for our environment, students had a great time making new friends, new memories, and of course getting mud all over themselves! 

The cleanup took place on a mangrove site nearby Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve. After working hard on the first part of their Saturday, they were then able to treat themselves with scrumptious food at the back to school barbeque! 

This year the ICCS was an incredibly successful event. Over 150 SAS students participated in the event collecting around 365 kg of trash.  Events such as this one are reminders that there are always courses of action that can be taken to help tackle the issues that our world faces today. 

If there’s an entity or issue in which you feel passionately about, get involved! Action can always be taken, no matter how big or small!