Last Saturday, October 30, 2021, on the eve of Halloween, In the afternoon, numerous participants joined together to remove a large amount of trash at Seven Seas Beach in Fajardo, to ensure that this beautiful site will always be perceived as a clean and safe one. Those present were part of organizations such as The Aguaviva Project, Boys Scouts of America (Troop 1 and Troop 723), Ceiba, Navy Cadets, Conservation Opportunity, and others.
During this large event, we were able to collect about 125 pounds of garbage over a 4-hour period, which is extremely pleasing since in previous cleanups, the organization The Aguaviva Project had found a lot more garbage, meaning that the beach is getting cleaner as member José Díaz told us: “it is an achievement to see that the beach is significantly cleaner, people are watching us do our job and are making sure that the garbage doesn't come back’’.
Also Troop 1 of the Boys Scouts of America showed us their dedication in teaching the youngsters about the importance of always taking care of your environment after motivating the vast majority of the children to get up early and make the long trip to Fajardo. The scoutmaster, Wallace Bustelo, told us in an interview that ‘’we are very happy to be able to help as scouts. It's a win-win situation, as we offer the boys the opportunity to contribute to keeping the beaches clean and they are rewarded with hours of service.’’
In addition to organizations, there were many people who came independently as a brave individual, Josue Carrion, who decided to come to the activity alone. Upon hearing that, we were curious to ask him why and he answered: “(This is) something that is born in me, I had the initiative to come... I just came to do my bit’’. Which is amazing for a person to have so much concern for his environment that he decides to set aside one day, from the weekend, to make sure that we are always actively improving our environment. In addition to Josue, Yamil Osorio, along with his wife, told us about his concern for the environment, we had a long conversation with him in which he said that “if the ocean dies then we die too’’, for this reason it is of utmost importance to always be aware of any event that happens to the ocean to protect it.
After the activity, we had the opportunity to meet with the founder of The Aguaviva Project, Andrea Torres, and she told us about her experience as a leader of the non-profit organization and her inspiration: “(what we are doing) is simple and genuine love, to leave Puerto Rico better for a future and a better tomorrow... to meet and share with people who share the same love, respect and the mission of cleanliness and conservation, to be able to connect and know that we are many and that united we are more, inspires me. The backing, support and love for the community is one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced in my life. Torres told us about his plans for the future of the organization and his response indicated that he had a great work plan: ’The goal of the Aguaviva project is the education, conservation and exploration of our natural resources and marine systems and to bring the community together in this regard’.“
When asked about her beginnings, she cited how the COVID-19 pandemic and the desire to make a change motivated her to take on the challenge of creating the organization. Now they are at a defining time as Torres plans to expand “its tentacles to be able to cover and help the entire island and, in the future, the Caribbean.”.
Coming soon, Andrea Torres and the organization The Aguaviva Project coordinate to restore a boat and turn it into a ‘’classroom’’ in which they will conduct maritime surveys for various companies and also offer free workshops on topics related to environmental conservation.
These activities are what define us as a family, without their support, we would not have been able to achieve the goal of this day: to take care of the environment. For this reason, we thank all the people who get involved with any organization or project that allows the improvement of the environment, as mentioned above, “’to contribute our grain of sand’’.
