InterNations Volunteers and Their Positive Impact on the Environment

Celebrating our natural environment is what numerous people around the world do on 5 June. On this day, they raise awareness about and call to action for protecting the environment worldwide. InterNations Volunteer Groups have worked hard to set up several activities that are environmentally friendly and support the well-being of our ecosphere — and we are very proud to present them here.

Supporting the Environment by Educating People

Our daily life has a great influence on our environment, simply due to all the little choices we make. The best way to protect our wonderful and precious world is to educate people about their environmental impact so that they can make more conscious choices. Thus, in the Singapore Volunteer Group, Group Consul Prema invited all members to a screening at the Earth Film Festival, as well as an exclusive speech by the festival’s founder, Michael Broadhead.

At the screening, 29 group members watched the award-winning documentary Trashed, which illuminates the global scale of humanity’s waste production. Later on, several other members joined them for the Social Impact Night, an educational — and exclusive — speech by Earth Film Festival founder Michael Broadhead. Together with the attendees, Michael turned his lecture into an interactive session while he explained what motivated him to set up the Earth Film Festival.

The attendees did not only leave feeling inspired, but they also got to support a non-profit organization as InterNations donated parts of their entrance fee to Zero Waste Singapore. This NGO strives to make Singapore waste-free.

Supporting Local Farmers to Reduce Food Miles

Agro-tourism, bringing visitors to a farm or ranch, is a new sustainable industry that has various benefits, such as improving local economies and decreasing the amount of “food miles” (and thus our carbon footprint). Local farmers in Perucho, Quito, have discovered this alternative source of income, and that’s why Adriana from the Quito Volunteer Group decided to introduce the members of the group to this new initiative.

The attendees of the Tangerine Tour had the opportunity to meet various farmers in the community and to learn more about local food production: they even went home with bags full of home-grown avocados, mandarins, and, of course, tangerines.

The Washington Volunteer Group Combats Water Pollution

Up to 40% of all American lakes are said to be too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming. The Anacostia Watershed Society tries to diminish this problem, pursuing the mission to clean the waters of the 14-kilometer Anacostia River, to recover its shores, and to honor the river’s heritage.

Therefore, Andrea from the Washington Volunteer Group prepared the members to get muddy and have lots of fun, while they had the opportunity to attend a River Cleanup activity and thus support the Watershed Society.

More Tips to Celebrate World Environment Day

So many other activities can be done in order to celebrate World Environment Day and to honor its vision. We’d like to share three tips that might inspire you — especially, but not only, on 5 June:

• Plant a tree: its many benefits include filtering out air pollution and providing oxygen. Planting a tree in honor of a loved one makes it even more special!

• Clean up the beach, the park, the woods, etc! Take a walk in the fresh air with your friends and make it a game to see who can gather the biggest bag of litter in 15 minutes.

• Use recycled paper: if you have to work on World Environment Day, you could even propose this idea to the person in charge of your office’s paper supply.

Do you have any other ideas to celebrate World Environment Day? Let us know!

If you’d like to get involved in activities for a good cause, please check if there is a Volunteer Group in your InterNations Community. Every InterNations member can join the group and take part in the activities!

Find out more on our About Page or write to [email protected].

(Image credit: InterNations)