As the world gears up to observe Earth Hour on Mar 23, an annual event aimed at raising awareness about climate change and environmental conservation, children in Beijing are finding creative ways to participate and make a difference in their community. Earth Hour, initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), encourages individuals, businesses, and communities to turn off non-essential lights for one hour, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm local time, as a symbolic gesture of solidarity in the fight against climate change.

In Beijing, where environmental awareness is increasingly becoming a priority, children are stepping up to contribute to this global movement. From organizing community clean-up events to raising awareness about sustainable practices, young activists are finding innovative ways to engage with Earth Hour.

Earth Hour symbolizes a commitment to protecting the planet and reducing energy consumption. By turning off lights and electronics for one hour, participants not only save energy but also send a powerful message about the importance of conservation. Beyond the symbolic gesture, Earth Hour serves as a catalyst for ongoing environmental action and advocacy.

How Kids Can Take Part in Beijing:

Organize a Lights-Out Event: Whether at home or school, encourage children to organize a lights-out event. They can collaborate with friends, classmates, and local community members to turn off lights and gather for activities by candlelight. Take this time to tell some stories, stargaze, or even hold a mini-concert with acoustic instruments.

Host a Sustainable Crafts Workshop: Kids can get creative by hosting a workshop focused on making eco-friendly crafts using recycled materials. From DIY planters and bird feeders that are perfect for the arrival of spring to upcycled fashion accessories, there are endless possibilities for crafting while promoting sustainability.

Get Their Thumbs Green: Engage children in hands-on activities that promote greenery and biodiversity. They can participate in tree-planting initiatives or start their own garden. Gardening not only helps beautify spaces but also teaches valuable lessons about ecosystems and the importance of nurturing plant life.

Raise Awareness Through Art: Glow-in-the-dark paint can be a whole lot of fun! Encourage kids to express their environmental concerns and aspirations through art. They can create posters, paintings, or sculptures that highlight the significance of Earth Hour and the urgent need for climate action. These artworks can be displayed in public spaces or shared on social media to inspire others.

Educate Others: Empower children to become environmental ambassadors by sharing information about Earth Hour and sustainable practices with their peers, family, and community. They can create educational materials, such as presentations or videos, to raise awareness about climate change and encourage others to join the movement.

As kids in Beijing embrace Earth Hour, they are not only participating in a global movement, but they are also cultivating a deeper sense of environmental stewardship and responsibility. By engaging in meaningful activities and advocating for positive change, young activists are demonstrating their commitment to building a more sustainable and resilient planet for future generations.

This Earth Hour, let’s celebrate the power of collective action and encourage children to be champions of change in their communities. Together, we can make a difference and pave the way for a brighter, greener future.

Remember, every small action counts, and when it comes to protecting our planet, everyone has a role to play. Let’s turn off the lights and shine a light on climate action during Earth Hour 2024!

Join the movement and share your Earth Hour activities on social media using #EarthHourBeijing and #Connect2Earth.

For more information about Earth Hour and how to get involved, visit www.earthhour.org.

Images: Pexels

China announced new 10 environmental guides to action on World Environmental Day on Monday. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly announced a newly revised Code of Environmental Action with four other national ministries and agencies.

The newly revised Code of Conduct includes ecological environmental management, conservation of energy and resources, green consumption practices, low-carbon transportation, waste screening, pollution reduction, natural environmental protection, environmental supervision, and beautiful China construction.

According to an interview by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the new regulation aims to provide clearer guidelines to encourage the public to participate in ecological environmental protection actions. The code suggests that not only one-dimensional environmental problems but also social environmental problems that the public is concerned about, and that the air conditio ner temperature limit before the revision should be set to 26 degrees in summer and 20 degrees in winter. Through these realistic amendments, China has successfully increased people’s access to the environmental protection code of conduct.

According to the revised Code of Conduct, the four environmental actions you can do in your daily life are:

• Consider the ecological environment. Learn various knowledge and technologies such as environmental pollution management, biodiversity protection, and climate change response.
• Sorting out the garbage before throwing it away. Unlike other countries, there are four types of garbage in China: hazardous waste, food waste, recyclable waste, and other waste.
• Use walking, public transportation, or bicycle. Beijing is one of the cities with good public transportation facilities.
• Reduce energy consumption. Rather than using an elevator, use stairs, or select and use energy-efficient home appliances and water-saving devices.

Full text of translated revised environmental protection recommendation actions:

1. Care for the ecological environment. We will learn and master scientific knowledge and skills in environmental pollution control, biodiversity protection, and climate change management, enhance our own ecological civilization and firmly establish ecological values.

2. Conservation of energy resources. Refuse extravagance and waste, practice clean-plate action, save water and gas, choose energy-efficient appliances, and water-saving appliances, set air-conditioning temperature reasonably, take more stairs and take less elevator, and use paper on both sides.

3. Practice green consumption. Rational consumption, rational consumption, preferential choice of green low-carbon products, less use of disposable products, going out with their own shopping bags, water cups, idle items, or exchange donations.

4. Choose low-carbon travel. Priority should be given to walking, cycling, or public transportation, sharing more transportation, and family cars should be given priority to new energy vehicles or energy-efficient vehicles.

5. Separate dumping of refuse. Learn and master the knowledge of garbage separation and recycling, reduce garbage generation, separately throw hazardous garbage according to the mark, separate other garbage, not littering, littering.

6. Reducing pollution generation.No open burning garbage, less coal, more clean energy, less chemical detergent, no random dumping of sewage, rational use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, no ultra-thin agricultural film, avoid noise disturbance.

7. Conservation of natural ecology. Respect nature, adapt to nature, protect nature, protect the ecological environment by protecting eyes, actively participate in tree planting, refrain from buying and using rare wildlife products, and refuse to introduce, discard or release exotic species.

8. Participation in environmental protection practices. We will actively disseminate the idea of ecological civilization and strive to be ecological volunteers, starting from the side and daily life, to influence others to participate in ecological environmental protection practices.

9. Participation in environmental supervision. We will abide by laws and regulations on the ecological environment, fulfill our obligations to ecological environmental protection, and actively participate in and supervise ecological environmental protection.

10. Building a Beautiful China Together. Adhere to the simple and moderate, green and low-carbon, civilized and healthy living and working style, consciously be a model practitioner of ecological civilization concept, and build a beautiful home where people and nature coexist harmoniously.

Images: Pexels

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.

KEEP READING: Help! I Don’t Know How to Sort My Trash

Images: Zhen Du, Yu Guo

The Kennedys are a true expat family, having lived abroad for 16 years, the last six of which have been spent in Beijing. Mom, Amy, works for the Girl Scouts and dad, David, is an IT manager. Meanwhile, their oldest, Avery, is busy studying at university, and their two younger kids, Claire and Luke, attend Western Academy of Beijing.

How did the whole family learn about garbage classification?

Our housing community introduced the new garbage classification system through notices, and we informed ourselves with the signs put up around the new sorting trash bins.

What do you do for garbage classification at home?

We have a bin for non-recyclables, and we also have a bin for recyclables in our home. We usually use a bowl when we have food waste so we can bring it to the community food waste bin.

What questions did you encounter during the process of garbage classification? Which garbage is the most difficult to sort?

Plastics can be difficult, and food-takeaway containers, as they can’t always be recycled if they are contaminated with grease or food residue.

What efforts did the children put into sorting garbage at home?

Our children participate in sorting their garbage within our home system, and they take turns bringing our bins to the community sorting bins when they are filled.

How is the garbage classification done in your own community? What needs to be improved?

It has improved a lot since the implementation of the new sorting system in Beijing – before there were only two bins, residual and recycling.  A lot of people still aren’t very aware of the system here. There are some areas where the only option for trash is a residual waste bin with no other options. It would be helpful to have the variety of waste bins for sorting in all key areas around the compound.

Will you talk about environmental protection with your children? What do you talk about?

We try to be conscious of teaching them to pick more sustainable options when possible, and not get unnecessary things that will end up being thrown away quickly. We all make an effort to use reusable storage containers instead of plastic bags for packing food, to reduce our non-recyclable waste.

Have you and your children participated in activities that support environmental protection?

My husband and son are involved in Boy Scouts and they participate in trash clean up events. They are going to be planting trees at a camp-out soon to help efforts to reforest areas. We participated in a clothing swap organized through the Girl Scouts a few years ago, and we always donate or pass on outgrown kids’ clothes. As a family, we try to incorporate a lot of vegetarian meals into our weekly meals, in an effort to reduce our environmental footprint.  We would like to start learning more about household composting. We could definitely always be doing more, but we try our best with the little things.

Dad, Lixian Zhang is a book editor and publisher who usually likes to read and watch Sci-Fi movies. Mom, Lei used to be a teacher and is now a stay-at-home mom. Their daughter Muhe is an outgoing and cheerful girl who likes swimming, outings, listening to music, playing with friends, and also loves to eat big strawberries.

How did the whole family learn about garbage classification?

As parents, we are very concerned about the impact of the environment on our children, and environmental protection has always been a practice for family members. In May last year, when Beijing began to implement garbage sorting, we read some articles about it, and watched some short videos about garbage sorting with our daughter to first let her know the different color and logo about garbage bins. Since she is only three years and five months old, she can’t fully understand many environmental concepts, but that doesn’t stop her from learning some simple classification of garbage.

What do you do for garbage classification at home?

We play games to practice garbage sorting, such us putting together vegetable leaves, fruit peels, batteries, water bottles and old stuffed toys together, and then sorting them out by kitchen waste, recyclable waste, hazardous waste and other waste, to see who can do it correctly.

Our family uses the sorting method of “two cans and one bag” where two trash cans are used to put kitchen waste and other waste respectively. Recyclable waste and harmful waste are put in plastic bags, and then put into their own trash cans in different categories, which is convenient and can save space.

What questions did you encounter during the process of garbage classification? Which garbage is the most difficult to sort?

It’s true that there are some confusing parts of the garbage sorting process, such as corn cobs, bones left over from soup, and nuts. Most of the time we regard them as kitchen waste, but they actually belong to other waste. Then we found a rule: garbage that is not biodegradable in a short period of time belongs to other garbage so it’s easier to think about it this way.

Another one that is challenging to sort is used dirty towels. We think towels are recyclable, but if the towels have been contaminated, we need to put them into other waste. There is also a small formula to share with you: those in the blue bin can be sold, those in green bin are easily rotted, red bin is toxic and harmful, none of the above belongs in the gray bin.

What efforts did the children put into sorting garbage at home?

Muhe became interested in throwing away rubbish when she was very young. She would throw orange peels into the trash can in the kitchen and put the water bottles into the recycling bin while playing in the park. Now she has gotten to know more about the garbage classification method, she would put empty batteries of electric toys into a small box, until she has collected enough, then we take her to throw them into the “harmful waste” red dustbin. Every time I throw away my mask, she reminds me to fold it inward because “otherwise, the virus will get out.”

How is the garbage classification done in your own community? What needs to be improved?

Our community’s garbage sorting is very good. There are all kinds of garbage bins lined in a row, each bin has a small rod for you to open the lid without touching it, which is convenient and clean. If you don’t know which bin to throw, there will be an officer ayi close by to help you sort it, and also introduce some sorting methods.

As a small note for improvement, I think they can post a special notice on the the publicity column in front of the trash can, for more common confusing garbage, so that it is clearer at a glance.

Will you talk about environmental protection with your children? What do you talk about?

Muhe is very fond of marine animals, “The Octonauts” is her favorite. She’s always wanted to go to the sea for diving and visit the sea friends she’s learned about like whale sharks, seahorses, jellyfish, hermit crabs, flying fish, walruses, etc.

What we’ve been talking about recently are the effects of face masks on marine life. According to a report released late last year by Oceans Asia, a marine conservation group, about 1.6 billion face masks will be found in the oceans by 2020, posing an irreversible threat and damage to marine ecology, as a single mask can take up to 450 years to decompose. But it won’t go away. The main material for masks is polypropylene, which is a non-degradable plastic. It decomposes but continues to circulate in the human food chain in the form of microplastics, and then it easily finds its way into marine organisms. Most likely, we have all eaten them. Let alone the fact that masks probably carry a large number of virus or bacteria. Fish eat it, then we eat the fish. So I told Muhe not to throw away the masks, because it will hurt our sea friends. Protecting our sea friends is actually protecting ourselves too.

KEEP READING: Meet Leafy and The Sustainable Spartans 

Images: Courtesy of families

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 May issue

I remember the days when Meatless Mondays were a novelty, and fake meat was something we only saw in headlines or in super-upscale restaurants that dabbled in molecular cuisine. Those days are far behind us, and plant-based meat is very easy to find everywhere There’s no mystery behind it anymore, and it’s no longer a novelty. Now, plant-based meat is something that anyone can cook at home and substitute into their recipes.

For Earth Day this year, many international schools in Beijing will welcome plant-based meat companies like Zrou to take over their cafeterias and create a meatless, sustainable menu for their students. “We should be in about 30 schools by the summer, where [Zrou] will be served regularly in dining halls as part of a nationwide push for sustainability and new plant-based options,” says Shiyin Wang of Zrou.

A quick lesson on plant-based meats: Zrou makes their plant-based food from non-GMO soy, antioxidant-rich konjac, coconut oil to give it a healthy juicy flavor, and shiitake mushrooms and yeast for a natural, umami flavor.

In China, pork is the most consumed meat, and can be found in most Chinese recipes. Companies like Zrou make plant-based meat that requires 78% less water to produce than pork, and cuts carbon emissions by 96%. Putting that into perspective, replacing 1,000kg of pork with Zrou would be equivalent to planting 192 trees.

In anticipation of Earth Day, schools like the International School of Beijing (ISB), Western Academy of Beijing (WAB), Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), French International School of Beijing (LFIP), Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA), and Beijing International Bilingual Academy (BIBA), among others, have dedicated days and even entire weeks to plant-based food. Take a look at some of the dishes that chefs have been able to create using Zrou. No longer are we limited to fancy, nibble-sized bites that can’t be recreated at home. Plenty of comfort foods can be created with Zrou!

This week is dedicated not only to bringing kids delicious and cool food but also to educating people on the benefits of adding plant-based meat to their diet.

As a meat lover, I don’t think I could ever give meat up completely. All of my go-to comfort foods are meaty. But if I can substitute plant-based meat in a few dishes, that’s a healthy start both for myself and for the environment.

I think that’s the message Zrou is sending to kids. You don’t need to go full vegan overnight. But making small changes can lead to a larger impact further down the road.

KEEP READING: Fun Blood Drive for the Whole Family! Yes, There is Such a Thing.

Images: Courtesy of Zrou

There’s a WeChat group for everything nowadays, and we’ve covered the basics for parents and foodies in past blogs. In honor of Earth Day on April 22, we would now love to share with you the WeChat groups needed to jumpstart a more sustainable lifestyle!

Roots & Shoots China

As part of the Dr. Jane Goodall Foundation, Roots & Shoots empowers citizens to take action and “do something about the problems facing your community and our world – social justice, pollution, climate change, and more,”. Being in this group really does show you how every action no matter how small, makes a difference.

Email info@genyuya.org.cn to join

Zero Waste Lifestyle 

Run by The Bulk House, a supplier of products that support the zero waste lifestyle as well as a font of knowledge on the topic, this group shares tips, tricks, and resources to help everyone make a bigger dent towards reducing trash on Earth.

Add WeChat ID THE_BULK_HOUSE_1 to join

Reduce to Relive

This is a group to give away items. In other parts of the world, “Buy Nothing” groups grew in popularity over recent years, and that is exactly what this group is. Post pictures of anything you are willing to give away or browse to see if you’d like any of the items. They occasionally also have live events.

Add WeChat ID TheBulkHouse_China

Well Planet | Zero Waste

It should come as no surprise that the team behind WellWomen also has a group to educate on Zero Waste living. Whether informing members about Earth Hour, or how to use old Hepa filters to make Zero Waste Art, or basics in sustainable living, here’s a supportive group to help you make those small changes that add up.

Add WeChat ID becstarnz to join

PlasticFree Challenge

The plastic-free challenge happens a couple of times a year, but this group stays active for tips and encouragement so you don’t dip into the challenge then return to your bountiful plastic ways as soon as it’s done.

Email info@genyuya.org.cn to join

Environmental Education Exchange

Here you’ll find a great group dump of all items environmental, whether viewing parties on Dr. Jane Goodall’s life or how spring camps help kids get in touch with nature and the budding environmentalist inside them! Join here and contribute your own story.

Scan QR code to join:

If these groups have taught me anything, it’s that true change begins small, at least when it comes to an individual’s role. There are ways to keep even Easter and other wasteful holidays sustainable. There are ways to be plastic-free or plastic-lite even if you have kids. There are ways to reduce waste for something as simple as menstrual products. Sustainability is not a campaign, it is truly a lifestyle!

KEEP READING: WeChat Groups Parents In Beijing Must Join

Photos: Canva

Apr 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and this year, there are two crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the slowly building disaster for our climate.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 countries around the world are enforcing social distancing, and while we can’t physically participate in group events to show our support, we live in the digital age where social media keeps us connected with the world right from our fingertips.

Here in Beijing, the founders of WellWomen invite you to join the “S.A.V.E the Earth” Earth Day challenge by completing four simple tasks.

1. SPEAK UP:

What are you fighting for — it could be for your children, for frontline communities, for safe water to drink. What compels you to act, and why are you in this fight?

Add your voice to this global demand for action with the shared hashtag #EarthDay2020 on social media.

Take action: Share Earth Day 2020 graphics, share what you’re doing or talk about the environmental cause you care about on social media.

2. ACT:

Everyone can do something. Join us on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day — Apr 22. Earthday.org will issue 24 actions for the planet that you can take now, wherever you are. Here are a few suggestions from our WellWomen collective.

Take action:

• Order a drink with no straw
• If you don’t have a reusable drink bottle, then buy one today; or if you have one go for a walk and take a photo of yourself using it
• Order/use reusable produce bags (or take a photo of you buying your groceries not using plastic bags)
• Go for a picnic using Zero Waste snacks for kids
• Repair something
• Go for a walk and pick up a bag of rubbish

3. VOTE:

Vote with your wallet. Think twice about consuming for the sake of consuming. When you are spending money, think about the people who made your goods and the environmental and social impact of your decision. Can you use a second-hand item? Do you really need it? Can you support local businesses and designers instead of the giants offering goods at low prices at the expense of our planet?

Take action: Spend your money buying something that will help you reduce your waste – a re-useable bottle, straw, produce bags if you don’t have these already. Buy produce in a Zero Waste way, visit a market and take your own bags or don’t use any bags at all.

4. EDUCATE:

The world’s first Earth Day in 1970 seized the power of education through campus-wide teach-ins to spark conversation, engage local communities and inform change. Today we can do the same thing digitally. Check out earthday.org.

Take action: We need you to share your knowledge and wisdom as well. Share an article on your social media that will educate others or educate yourself by watching a documentary on the climate situation.

• True North (2018)
• An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
• Before the Flood (2016)
• Years of Living Dangerously (2016)
• 11th Hour (2007)
• Chasing Ice (2012)
• A Beautiful Planet (2016)
• This Changes Everything
• Six Degrees Could Change the World

To take part in the WellWomen “S.A.V.E the Earth” challenge:

1. Join the Well Planet WeChat group by scanning the QR code on the poster, or by adding WeChat ID: becstarnz.
2. Add your name to the list of challengers, take a photo of yourself doing the four S.A.V.E action steps sometime between Apr 21-24, post them in the WeChat group to show us you did them.
3. Write a brief reflection on your journey to be in the draw to win a Zero Waste Starter Kit: three produce bags, one wooden dish brush, and a stainless steel straw.

Source: WellWomen, www.earthday.org
Photos: WellWomen, unsplash

Whenever life doesn’t seem to go as planned, or we encounter a bump in the road, it’s easy to fixate on those problems and let them consume all of our mental energy. However, when this happens, we run the risk of losing sight of all those things that are going well, which, more often than not, are the things we take for granted in the first place. Generally speaking, it’s pretty safe to say that no matter how bad things get, most of us have those basic necessities that provide for a comfortable and secure life; health, love, shelter, financial stability, and food. Unfortunately, though, there are a lot of people in this world — either clear across it or right in our own backyard — who don’t have basic amenities. Thankfully, students at Beijing’s international schools know not only how to count their blessings, but how to share them as well.

A few took time out of their busy schedules to tell us about the organizations they volunteer with, and what it means to them.

International School of Beijing: Greenkeepers

Founded 2009

Students:

Nadya C., 17 Years Old, Grade 12, Volunteering for 3 Years

Sam Y., 17 Years Old, Grade 12, Volunteering for 3 Years

Vimala M., 16 Years Old, Grade 12, Volunteering for 2 Years

What is Greenkeepers’ mission?

“Our mission statement is to raise awareness of environmental issues in our community to inspire individuals to take action and make our community a ‘greener place’.” – Nadya C.

“The mission statement for Greenkeepers is to inspire environmental awareness through local impacts within communities worldwide. I feel like the trash pickup is a good example of this. Through local impacts (just as picking up trash), we inspire environmental awareness (through interviews and talks with residents).” – Sam Y.

“Greenkeepers believe that every individual makes a difference on the environment and everyone should make our community a ‘greener’ place. Through local impacts and volunteer work, Greenkeepers is committed to raising awareness of the environmental challenges that face us locally and globally, promoting more sustainable practices in everyday life, and raising funds for a variety of environmental causes.” – Vimala M.

Why did you get involved?

“Initially, I was greatly inspired by many environmental organizations around the world that are in action helping various environmental issues. I hoped to take a stand against environmental exploitation and was determined to fight for a better, greener world. Whilez looking for a suitable environment-related student club, my friend introduced me to the perfect answer: Greenkeepers.” – Nadya C.

“I wanted to help increase sustainability in our school and local environment.” – Sam Y.

“When I started at ISB, I was already involved in various environmental clubs in my previous school. Greenkeepers was a club that was interesting for me mainly because of the trash pickups and tree planting activities.” – Vimala M.

What have you learned from your experience volunteering?

“I have participated in several volunteering experiences, one of them being our weekend Trash Pick-up event. Through personal experience in picking up trash by a nearby river, I am fortunate to have obtained more knowledge regarding the causes of the many environmental damages human actions have initiated. Hence, gained a better understanding of how to tackle the problem.” – Nadya C.

“From volunteering, I have learned the true value of personal impact. Even though volunteering and picking up trash may not make a big difference in sustainability, setting a good example for the local residents does make a big impact. Being a small club, we might not always be able to directly make a big influence on the environment, but we can inspire others that, collectively, will build up to make a great impact.” – Sam Y.

“Through volunteering with Greenkeepers, I have learned that volunteering is as important as conducting sustainable projects. It involved directly engaging with the community by going to the trash pickups, I’ve learned that we can make a difference through little steps.” – Vimala M.

What does volunteering and giving back to the community mean to you?

“Volunteering gives me a unique sense of purpose by serving those around me who are in need. Immersing myself in a community not only enriches and broadens my perceptions of the world but also improves my health both physically and mentally. Volunteering allows me to meet new people and have a broad, open-minded perspective of events in life which helps me become an effective and empathetic individual in society.” – Nadya C.

“Volunteering is always a good experience for me, especially in Greenkeepers, because I am not only able to give back to the community by doing something that I enjoy, but I am also able to do so with my close friends. I would say that volunteering has enriched our friendship.” – Vimala M.

Is this your first time volunteering?

“No. I have volunteered in several other events in and out of Greenkeepers, such as raising awareness of the recent climate strike and helping out on one of our ‘trash exchange for food’ fundraising event. ‘Trash exchange for food’ primarily raises awareness regarding recycling and effectively engages students to recycle by receiving ‘trash’ (used paper and recyclable plastic bottles) and exchanging it for a plate of food.” – Nadya C.

“This is not my first time volunteering. Before this, every Sunday I taught 4- to 5-year-old children of our school staff English with another ISB club.” – Sam Y.

Photos: Courtesy of ISB