Chinese New Year Coastal Cleanup at Tanah Merah 7 with RVRC students!

I conduct a recce at Tanah Merah 7 tomorrow for Thursday’s Chinese New Year Coastal Cleanup with some 35 students from NUS’ Ridge View Residential College. They take a sustainability module I help teach (GEM1917) and this cleanup compliments the lectures.

I was last at this site for International Coastal Cleanup, Singapore with NUS Toddycats & Independents on 13 Sep 2014. This group did a great job at the very far end of Tanah Merah and brought trash over almost kilometre.

NUS Toddycats & Independents working a chain gang to move trash out at Tanah Merah 7 during ICCS2014 before the tide rushes in. Photo by Kenneth Pinto

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This coastlines is under restricted access to the public, and we will probably remove at least 1/3 tonne of trash. So I did have to email a few people and they all responded quickly and supportively as usual, which is really nice to see. So I let the RVRC students know that:

Permission for access to the site has been granted by Singapore Police Force via Singapore Land Authority.
The Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal operator (Singapore Cruise Centre) is providing us access to the side gate access to the site and space in the Car Park for us to place our trash.
NEA’s Department of Public Cleanliness has arranged to have our trash picked up by 12pm on Thursday.

We head out early on both recce and cleanup days to catch the shore while its nice and cool. There is always the reward of eagles overhead while we work the beach. Looking forward to this and observing the students at work!