World Environment Day celebrated on the 5th of June every year; serves as a platform to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote positive actions to protect and improve the environment. This year’s theme focused on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.

To commemorate and respect Mother Nature on her day, the Department of Coastal and Marine Resource Management (CRM) at OCUSL went above and beyond to demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship by organizing a beach cleanup at Crow Island Beach Park, as they rallied student volunteers from diverse departments and set out to make a tangible difference in the local community.

The Beach Cleanup took place as a collaborative effort between the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development at the Open University of Sri Lanka and the Department of Coastal and Marine Resource Management (CRM). It was organized as a significant component of the “Less Plastic Movement: National Campaign.” The campaign witnessed the enthusiastic involvement of CRM academics, along with students from various departments, who actively participated in the cleanup initiative.

The CRM department’s volunteers gathered at Crow Island Beach Park earlier at 8.30 am, armed with gloves, trash bags, and unwavering determination. As the morning progressed, the students fanned out across the shoreline, leaving no plastic waste behind. The team collected around 120 kilograms of plastic debris including food wrappers, polythene, PET bottles and other plastic wastes. Furthermore, the data collected during the cleanup will be utilized to gain insights into the prevalent types of waste in the local area and to create environmental awareness among the local community regarding ways to effectively manage plastic litter.

The beach cleanup exemplified the power of collective action and highlighted the significance of preserving our coastal ecosystems. By coming together, the CRM department not only made a visible impact on the cleanliness of the beach but also inspired a broader sense of environmental awareness and responsibility.