Our Third Lake Apoyo Underwater Cleanup was a success! We have conducted this activity three years consecutively, and with each activity, there are new people participating.
Estacion Biologica, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Office of the Mayor of Catarina, and Apoyo Dive Center worked together to bring twenty divers with support crew above-water to take the trash out of the lake. The SCUBA divers volunteered their time and energy to remove lots of trash from
Laguna de Apoyo. Here are some photos of the activity.
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| Local community members gather during the morning of October 15, with rangers, to help clean the lake. |
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| Tim Roberts from Apoyo Dive Center poses with the SCUBA diving crew from Planta Margarita in Corinto, who offered their free weekend to help clean Lake Apoyo. |
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| Not only SCUBA divers participated: Community children who live in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve helped clean up trash along the areas near the shore. |
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| Members of Special Forces of the Nicaraguan Navy prepare to begin their dive for the Lake Apoyo Underwater Cleanup. Photo by Jeffrey McCrary. |
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| Several local community members in Laguna de Apoyo have mastered the art of snorkeling, and they helped collect trash in the water, as well! |
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| Beatriz Valverde from MARENA looks on as local children volunteer to keep Laguna de Apoyo free of trash. |
We were all happy with our efforts, and 62 large sacks of trash were removed by our
dive crew. Almost all our effort was placed on the areas directly in front the bars at Los Ranchos, where the clients and proprietors allow lots of garbage to enter the lake. We removed many large plastic soft drink bottles and rum bottles, and we left more behind in the lake than what we removed. But most important was the solidarity we noted. People of all kinds participated, some
SCUBA diving, others snorkeling, many more picking up trash along the shore. We thank them all!
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