Indigenous Community Volunteers

On the Murrumbidge River in the ACT, and in Alice Springs and Darwin, ICV volunteers got together with Aboriginal people to help clean up country during Clean Up Australia Day.

The volunteers enjoyed a day working together with their families and Aboriginal people to clean up country. They also learnt about local Aboriginal culture and languages. In Canberra, the volunteers enjoyed the beautiful location along the banks of the Murrumbidge river. They saw red rumped parrots and budgerigars, fish jumping, wildflowers, kangaroos, wallabies, wombat holes and a water dragon.

Some of the rubbish collected in Canberra included sex toys, discarded undies, bongs, dirty nappies, an old lie-low, two car wheels, lots of cigarette butts, cans, bottles and broken glass, golf balls, styrofoam coffee cups and containers, bottle lids and ring tops, discarded McDonald’s rubbish, bread bag tags, plastic meat trays, shirts, and towels.

ICV CEO Gregory Andrews volunteered in Canberra and picked up over 1,000 cigarette butts around children’s playground and barbeque areas.

“Not only do these butts leach toxic chemicals into the soil, they also choke fish, lizards, platypuses and other water animals. Birds put the toxic butts in their nests and this gives their babies cancer and other diseases. Throwing them on the ground is not respecting Aboriginal land.

“And it is sad that parents smoke and discard the butts while caring for and in the presence of their children”, Gregory said.

Clean Up Australia Day was a great opportunity to remind people about respect for Aboriginal Land.

Twenty two volunteers were involved. The youngest volunteer was two-year old Tilly Andrews.