A Cleaner and Greener Gozo 2014

A campaign by the Ministry for Gozo

Report by CSL Anita Muscat

As Scouts "We will do our Best" as regards the environment, people and society.

Throughout the past 107 years of Scouting, Scouts around the world have been learning and caring for their environment. Therefore the Victoria Scout Group immediately accepted the invitation by the Gozo Ministry to participate in the Greener and Cleaner Campaign, aimed at raising awareness and personal responsibility towards the environment.

Spread over a period of 2 months between April and May 2014, the 3 sections of the Group organized different activities in favour of this initiative.

• Venture Unit (aged 14 to 18 years):

  During Easter Camp, members of the Unit and leaders carried out a cleanup around the campsite, the area near the Qattara pond and the valley. They also cleaned up areas along the coast line.

• Cub Scout Packs (aged 7 to 11 years):

  During Easter Camp the Packs carried out several activities as part requirement for the World Scout Environment Badge. Various activities such as Sense Nature – appreciating nature by using the sense of touch, sight, taste, hearing and smell, and the Catch the Carbon Dioxide Game which explains how human activity affects the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere were organized. These environmental awareness activities were also shared with a group of schoolchildren who spent one day at camp. In May, the Cubs participated in a cleanup during a national activity in Malta.

• Troop Section (aged 11 to 14 years):

  On Saturday 10th May, members of this section and their leaders were split up into different groups who carried out clean-ups in various localities around Gozo. These included the parking areas near the Gozo General Hospital and the bus terminus, the former playing field in Victoria, Wied il-Għasri Inlet and the Kantra Valley in Xlendi.

The Group would like to thank the Gozo Ministry for providing it with trucks and other resources needed for such cleanups.

Later on in May, during a special ceremony held at the Gozo Ministry, the Group Scout Leader Lorrie Saliba was presented with a certificate of participation. Various photos of the activities carried out by the Scouts as part of this initiative featured prominently in the slide show presented during this ceremony.