Clean Pak Sha Wan Day

35 volunteers and their good work

The initial Clean Pak Sha Wan Day had been scheduled for Sunday 10 October, but Tropical Storm Lionrock obliged the Club to postpone for a week to Saturday 16 October. In between, the No. 8 Typhoon Signal was again raised as Kompasu roared past bringing more flooding and destruction … and lots more litter and debris to our shores. In particular the beaches and rocky coastlines near the Club.

So, the 45 volunteers from the Club and 22 from the Nam Wai community who arrived by ferry at Little Campers Beach just before midday had their work set out for them. Blue plastic buckets, broken bottles and polystyrene boxes, rubber mats, fridges, unwanted clothing, face masks, half a dead Jetski and, worst of all, discarded fishing nets, covered the sand from the waterline well into the undergrowth. Around the corner, towards Marina Cove, the shore of Nam Wai Beach, too, was covered in rubbish.

Black refuse bags and garden gloves were brought ashore and the volunteers sprang to work, spreading out and picking up whatever they could. Everyone filled a bag, some even two, and everything was brought together so that an assessment of the day’s work could be made. But, as later pointed out by the beachmaster, the bags and other assorted rubbish could not be left at the high tide line as it would simply be washed out to sea again when the water level rose. The volunteers then moved their hard work another 20 feet up the beach ready for collection by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

最初的「清潔白沙灣日」原定於 10 月 10 日舉行，但因熱帶風暴「獅子山」 的到來，本會另訂日期，安排在 10 月 18 日。 期間又有8號颱風「圓規」呼嘯 而過，為沿岸帶來更多的垃圾和碎屑 等雜質，本會附近的海灘和岩石海岸 線尤以明顯。

活動當天，本會招募的45名義工和 南圍的22名義工在早上乘渡輪抵達 小露營灣。到達目的地後，放眼望去 皆是藍色塑膠桶、碎樽、發泡膠盒、 膠墊、冰箱、舊衣、口罩、水上摩托 車，還有被人丟棄的漁網，沙子都堆 積在灌木叢裡。不遠處，朝著匡湖居 方向的南圍泳灘海岸亦被垃圾覆蓋。

義工們迅速行動起來，拿出黑色的垃圾 袋和手套，開始撿拾垃圾。每個人的袋 子都裝滿了垃圾，有的人甚至裝滿了兩 個袋子，然後把所有的垃圾袋集中放置 一處。海灘管理員提醒，這些垃圾袋不 能留在漲潮線上，因為當水位上升時， 它們將再次被沖進大海。於是義工們垃 圾袋移到海灘上50釐米遠的地方，方便 食物環境衛生署收集。

Beach landing

Jen Dentry fills a refuse bag

Many of the young volunteers come from Renaissance College, West Island School, a Nam Wai community group and, of course, club members. “It’s about education, it’s about community and we enjoy doing it,” said one of the organisers, Carol Biddle.

The beach clean-up was started some 15 years ago by former Commodore Mark Houghton, and is now a regular annual event on the Club’s social calendar. It has gained support from the Government and, of course, the village kai fong. “The young participants get a chance to meet other young people and at the same time develop a sense of pride in the environment,” said then-Club Vice Commodore, Paul Arkwright.

The enforced rescheduling of the clean-up brought numbers down a bit, as 100 people had signed up for the previous Sunday. As so often happens when dates are changed, many had to pull out because of previous commitments. Another clean-up is planned for the winter and, hopefully, it will again attract wide community support.

The cost for the Club to be involved in clean-ups is minimal, but the long-term advantages are enormous. Pak Sha Wan suffers badly from debris following inclement weather—Typhoon Mangkhut (September 2018) was a prime example, where Little Trio Beach was knee deep in polystyrene. Raising awareness in the local community, led by HHYC, and making every effort to keep the environment clean, can only be a good thing. Well done to all the volunteers who helped out at the Clean Pak Sha Wan Day!

許多年輕的義工來自啓新書 院、西島中學、南圍社區團體 和本會成員。「這個活動能讓 參與者認識環境保育、社區貢 獻，我們非常喜歡籌辦這一類 的活動。」活動發起人之一 Carol Biddle分享。

15年前，前會長Mark Houghton 自發舉辦清理海灘的活動，現在 該活動已成為本會的恆常項目之 一，獲政府和街坊的支持。副會 長Paul Arkwright說：「年輕義 工透過活動認識新朋友，同時建 立保育環境的自豪感。」

是次活動因天氣因素更改日期， 使參加人數有所減少，原本共 100人報名參加10 月 10 日的清 潔日。不過因計劃有變，許多人 未能配合而不得不錯過活動。下 一次的清潔日將於冬季舉辦，希 望能再次得到社區的熱烈響應。

本會組織及參加這一類的活動成 本不算高，但所帶來的影響是 正面及長久的。以往惡劣天氣過 後，白沙灣總會遭受破壞。2018 年9月颱風「山竹」吹襲的時 候，三星灣堆積的發泡膠多至及 膝。在本會的倡議後，合力提高 社區的環保意識、保持環境清 潔，成效顯著，有賴一群義工在 背後付出巨大努力。

Fridges and all sorts of plastic items

Returning after a hard morning's work

Fragrant Harbour joins the effort

Black bags full of rubbish

Discarded fishing net