“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead.

With increased population comes increased consumption of goods and services, which leads to more significant amounts of waste being produced globally every day.

While staggering pollution statistics are hard to chew on, they also highlight an opportunity for people to take action and rally around a safe, healthy environment through community clean-ups. 

Henyang Meshack, a passionate community member of Westlake settlement, is an excellent example of a committed citizen playing his part in making a difference! A while back, he approached Nature Connect CEO Anthony Roberts to advise and help him improve the Westlake wetland’s current state. 

Along with his community members, Henyang acknowledges that the only way areas like Westlake can be clean is if committed volunteers play an active role in keeping them that way.

Last week they had their first Clean-up, and Nature Connect in partnership with Ithemba and WESSA was more than happy to provide them with the tools and PPE to get them started. 

Following the cleaning, these community volunteers committed to working towards instilling a culture of civic education and responsibility, caring for and preserving the Westlake wetland environment!

Noticing that litter is a problem is the first step in taking action to create a cleaner, more sustainable planet. 

We are incredibly proud of individuals like Heyang, who takes action and selflessly serves his community and this planet.

We challenge you to partner with our organisation and alike to get involved and create meaningful change. There’s no time like the present to get involved in community and civic activities to feel more agency in a complicated era of increased population and climate change!