Cleaning campaign volunteers
Swamps are beautiful places which contain shallow waters either constantly or only temporarily, due of flooding. Many species of animals and plants live there. Besides that, they’re temporary homes for diverse species of migratory birds. The Lucre-Huacarpay swamp, for example, is a part-time home to birds that travel from Canada to Argentina. What a trip!
If swamps disappeared, it would affect all of us since they’re fundamental places that guarantee ecological equilibrium on our planet. Despite this, these bodies of water are under constant threat because of the thoughtlessness of human beings.
In 1971 in Iran, an international convention took place which sought to protect the most important bodies of water in the whole world, calling them as Ramsar sites. In Peru, there are only 13 Ramsar sites, and the Lucre-Huacarpay swamp is the only one in the Cusco region.
Swamp, I want you clean
Picking up trash next to Pikillaqta
Friday, November 23, the District Municipality of Lucre and the Salkantay Foundation carried out a cleaning campaign of the Lucre-Huacarpay swamp. Enthusiastic young people from the Professional School of Biology of the National University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco volunteered to join the campaign, as well.
Under the direction of the Environmental Sub-management of the Lucre Municipality, trash pick-up was done in 4 zones: Lucre River, Anchibamba, the swamp, itself, and the Huáscar sector. This was also done in some parts of the archeological site of Pikillaqta, which adjoins this natural wonder.
“I believe this group will allow us to realize these campaigns periodically. Sadly, the Lucre Municipality doesn’t have sufficient economic resources. We are a small municipality. Because of this, the support of private companies is very important to preserve the swamp and our environment,” stated biologist Luis Blas, Environmental Sub-manager of the Lucre District Municipality.
In the same way, Vicente Almanza Tupayachi, a biology student of University of San Antonio Abad of Cusco mentioned some importan things. “I believe we must act urgently against contamination. The population doesn’t have a consciousness of this and continues throwing trash on the swamp’s banks. I know that Salkantay Trekking does cleaning campaigns in various places, and I’m in agreement with that.”, he said.
Caring for nature is caring for our own lives. We hope that this small effort can multiply itself to stop the environmental catastrophe which, according to the opinion of many specialists, is imminent.
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