Zoomarine seeks volunteers for beach clean-up initiative

Volunteers are needed for ‘Operation Clean Beach’ (Operação Praia Limpa), a beach clean-up initiative taking place in five Algarve boroughs on Sunday, May 8 between 9.30am and noon.

The event is organised by Guia theme park Zoomarine and aims to remove as much rubbish as possible from selected beaches.

For the first time, the event is taking place in five municipalities – Silves, Albufeira, Lagoa, Loulé and Faro – in a bid to expand its reach and impact.

Launched in 2017, the event is part of Zoomarine’s ‘Together We Protect’ environmental responsibility initiative and aims to remove rubbish of human origin along several kilometres of coastline, “which should never be found on our beaches, but which is becoming more omnipresent, numerous and dangerous”.

“Although these beaches are on lists of the cleanest beaches in the world, our aim is to make Silves, Albufeira, Lagoa, Loulé and Faro even cleaner from plastic, cigarette butts, cans, fishing gear, boat remains, and discarded home appliances,” the theme park says.

The event has several high-profile partners, including regional waste management company Algar, University of Algarve, Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), Institute of Nature and Forest Conservation (ICNF), Algarve Tourism Board (RTA), regional water company Águas do Algarve, British tea brand Lipton, Vila Vita Parc Resort, Centro Europe Direct Algarve and tour operator Olimar Reisen.

The event will “bring together families, friends and colleagues of all ages for an initiative revolving around mutual help, fun, sustainability education and respect for nature.”

Registrations are due to open soon and will remain open until May 6. Participants will be entitled to a digital diploma and, “most of all, the happy memories of an event that fills our hearts while removing rubbish from beaches which should never have been there”.

https://praialimpa.zoomarine.pt/

By Micahel Bruxo
[email protected]