After what felt like a decade in COVID lockdowns, I was looking for something to do to feel connected back into society again. I signed up to volunteer with the Beachkeepers to do some weeding and planting on the beach. I figured that was perfect – I had gotten really into houseplants during the lockdowns but living in an apartment I don’t often have the chance to plant anything in the actual ground, so I was very keen to get my hands dirty. My husband and I volunteered for a few weekends and we had a great time. We weeded, planted, and even sorted micro-plastics on the sand. We learned a lot about the native plants and trees in the area and how they attract native and migratory birds (thanks, Gio!)
Aside from it being fun and knowing that we were helping out our local ecosystem (even in the tiniest of ways), the most rewarding part has been going back to the location we planted and seeing how everything has grown! The area we planted is thriving and it is so fulfilling to see that such a small amount of effort has literally blossomed into something so full of life and beauty, and the best part is that it is still growing.
For anyone interested, I would highly recommend putting some time into volunteering as it tends to feel like you get more out of it than you give – it is very satisfying in that way. I am happy to have been involved so far, and I can’t wait for the next volunteer sesh with the Beachkeepers. 🙂
Until next time,
Naomi.
