The Big Cleanup — or Lielā Talka in Latvian, takes place nationwide Saturday, April 23.
The slogan of the event that brings people together to clean up the environment is “Latvia to be green!“.
The idea of the event is based on voluntary participation, creating unity, positivity and a sense of job well done. The author of the Big Cleanup is writer Anna Žīgure, but the idea was borrowed from the Estonians who organized their first national-scale environmental cleanup “Let’s do it!” on 3 May 2008.
In the recent years in Latvia, the Big Cleanup puts emphasis on the environmental education, as well as Courtyard improvement movement. Every year, the Big Cleanup sets out a motive to invite the public to pay attention to how much our daily behavior is related to the environment and health. In 2011, it was – “Come and help Latvia!”. In 2012, “Look deeper – don’t throw waste in the environment!”. In 2013, “Clean Latvia starts in your head”. In 2014 – “Clean Baltic Sea starts in your bathroom”. In 2015 – “Those who change – survive!”. In 2016 – “Latvia to be green!”.
Until 2018, the year when Latvia will celebrate its 100th birthday, the Big Cleanup aims to make the Baltic country the cleanest and tidiest place in the world — to give nature an opportunity to heal by cleaning it from the waste, as well as encourage citizens to upgrade and take care of the environment around them.
Check out the map of registered cleanup sites in Riga area and choose your own!
Header image credit: Marcy Leigh
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