Inspired by the International Coastal Cleanup Day and motivated in part by the need to step up our efforts in the face of increasingly severe disasters that we face as a nation, I would like to suggest that we all join hands in holding a
National Mountain Clean-up Day in May 10, 2014, after the peak season and before the rains - in what I envision to be an annual activity that allows not just to clean up all the mountains but also to have a strong voice in raising awareness about the importance of protecting our mountains and forests.
Like the anti-pork rally, no organizer is required for this event and we do not need any kind of registration or fees; all we need to do is to coordinate which groups are climbing which mountains so we will not cluster together in one mountain (I can do this by posting the groups in PM). Sharing of ideas, plans, schedules, and group invites can also be facilitated through social media by using the hashtag
#mtncleanup2014. I think for this event to succeed, it is important that the idea itself to be the rallying point rather than a group of organizers. Thus while I will be active in coordinating this event, I am not the organizer. Neither this is my original idea - I'm sure many others have thought about this before. I want everyone to be the organizers so we can all claim ownership of this activity.
There are certain guidelines that we have to be aware of, however, in the conduct of the clean-up climbs.
1. As many mountains as possible, as few mountaineers in a mountain as possible - The goal is for us to be able to clean many mountains to avoid redundancy in the clean-up but at the same time to avoid overcrowding. Of course, more groups will be required to clean up more popular mountains like Mt. Apo. But we should still strive to maintain a group size of around 15 persons per group. To avoid multiple groups going into the same trail or mountain, I will be posting the list of groups who have final plans in this post. Again, we can use the hashtag #mtncleanup2014 to coordinate efforts.
2. Proper waste disposal. It is not enough to bring back the waste to the jumpoff, because it may just as easily end up being disposed in the same irresponsible way. It is important to see to it that the waste is properly disposed. Thus it is advisable to coordinate with local government units, the local DENR, on where the drop-off points for all the trash can be. I will also make a separate post about "Guidelines on organizing a clean-up climb" which will also include things to bring, how to protect
3. Coordination with local and national government is recommended. This is related to #2. As we all know, being a mountaineer means being able to deal with different people: the locals, the guide, our fellow mountaineers. Coordinating with LGUs, whenever possible, will allow them to participate in an environmental activity and avoid the potentially embarrassing situation of being perceived to be unable to clean one's own backyard. I will also try to coordinate with the national DENR and see if they can help us. Your ideas are very welcome and if you have contacts with government agencies, you are more than welcome to share them with us (I hope Secretary Ramon Paje can somehow hear this!).
4. Let's make this visible. For this activity to have a big impact, we need to "make noise" so we can bring to the national consciousness the importance of clean mountains as well as mountain-related issues. So if you have journalist friends, friends in the media, and other people who have a wide reach - you should invite them to take part, and if you are a journalist yourself please help us highlight this initiative so people can hear about it and hopefully be inspired. Of course all of us have social media presence and we can use this to influence others as well.
What is more powerful, cursing someone for littering in the mountain, or picking up his trash in front of him and putting it in your bag? Actions speak louder than words. By holding a National Mountain Clean-up Day as a collective action, we can influence through social media more powerfully than any discussion thread or status message can ever achieve. By doing this as an annual event, we have the opportunity to show the nation that our mountains need to be cleaned and conserved, and this is also a chance to inspire others to be responsible mountaineers. Let's do this! #mtncleanup2014
LIST OF CLEAN-UP CLIMBS SCHEDULED ON MAY 10, 2014DESTINATION | ORGANIZING CLUB OR GROUP | CONTACT PERSON | CONTACT # |
Gulugod-Baboy | Rotaract Club of Malabon East | Reginald Panida | 09164505739 |
Pico de Loro | Team Subi Monte | Jayson Gregorio | 09258887663 |
Malabondokers and Friends | Nicolaou Romero | 09165907892 |
Mt. Ugo | ICONS (In Conquest of Nature's Secret) | Jeff Mansibang | 09275219225 |
Mt. Sembrano | Rotaract Clubs of Camanava | Gabe Santos | 09261177946 |
Mt. Romelo | Kanlungan Pilipinas Movement | Herald Villarca | 09328787857 |
Manabu Peak | Don Bosco Mountaineering Society | Emerson | 09277983435 |
Mt. Tagapo | Dell Outdoor Club | Brylle Estigoy | 09063470669 |
Mt. Batulao | Batangas Mountaineering Society | Gary Salvador Garay | 09278681973 |
Mt. Daguldol | Hightop Adventure | Mark Villamor | 09277334359 |
ADD YOUR GROUP TO THE LISTYou can make a comment with the following information in this post, you can email me at gideon@pinoymountaineer.comGroup name:
Group leader:
Clean-up destination:
Contact number:
Number of slots (max. 18):
Additional information / remarks:
FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS
1. I do not have a group. How can I join the clean-up climbs?The contact numbers of the organizers are listed in the table above. You can contact them to signify your interest. Also, as May 10, 2014 approaches, if we identify a mountain that has no group yet, we can ask people to volunteer as organizer for such open clean-up climbs that are not organized.
2. Our group is interested to join but we do not know how to organize a clean-up climb. How do we go about it?Organizing a clean-up climb is not rocket science. Basically a clean-up climb is just the act of climbing a mountain to collect trash in the trails, campsites, and points of interest and bringing it down to a place where proper waste disposal is practiced. One can also interpret a 'clean-up climb' to include the act of cleaning up vandalisms from rocks, among others. I will post a set of guidelines on how to conduct a clean-up climb soon.
3. What if there are several groups doing a clean-up climb in one mountain?The reason why I am posting the groups who have already announced their intentions is so that we can avoid such a situation. Groups who have decided on the same destination can discuss among themselves how to work it out. For examples, many mountains have different trails and groups can focus their clean-up efforts in a particular trail. Two or three groups doing a clean-up for one mountain is not a bad especially if these mountains are high-impact to begin with, and have many trash to be collected. The important thing is that groups cooperate with each other and with the local government.
4. How much will participating in the clean-up climbs cost?There will be no registration or other fees, except for the costs that the organizing groups will set for their own climbs. PinoyMountaineer itself is not the organizer of one big events, but the coordinator of several small events happening at the same time. Organizers of the climbs are free to get sponsorship for their own events, without the need to get consent from PinoyMountaineer or anyone.
5. Will there be IDs and event/souvenir shirts?I know that shirts and IDs are important for hiking events. However, to avoid any financial and logistical issues, any shirt that will be produced as an event shirt will be open source design which groups and individuals can just download and print for themselves and add their logos on it. We will also have an open source logo for the event that people can add to their own shirts and IDs. I can upload it as a high-resolution image file by February or March 2014.
6. I cannot join the clean-up climbs but I still want to support this initiative. How can I help?We need to reach as many people as we can with our message of the importance of clean mountains. If you think you have the opportunity, ability, or resources to contribute towards this goal, please get in touch with me at gideon@pinoymountaineer.com.
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