On Friday 22/09/2017, MULC Tropicana organized a beach cleaning volunteering event held in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. The objective of this event was to develop the habit of taking care of the environment among MULC members. In conjunction with the beach cleaning activity, this event also included a visit to PD Ostrich Farm.
Early in the morning at 7am, MULC members started to gather in the foyer of Monash University Malaysia. Registration was carried out, while light breakfast was being distributed around. After all the participants of the event had arrived, the leader of Tropicana subgroup and the Organizing Chairperson (OC) gave a short briefing and allocated the participants to respective transport. At 8am, we departed from Monash University Malaysia in a convoy of two formations. We first set our journey headed to Pantai Saujana, Port Dickson for beach cleaning activity. One and a half hour of car ride later, we arrived at our destination. Once arrived, we assembled nearby a hut and a briefing was given by the OC of this event. In the meantime, cleaning tools and equipment were distributed and the participants were divided into 3 separate groups covering different areas of the public beach.
At 10am, we started the cleaning tasks in groups. We were astonished by the cleanliness of the beach because to our surprise, the beach was generally without any noticeable unwanted trash. We were further informed that despite the beach being a popular picnic attraction for families, the cleanliness was kept at an acceptable level by a team of cleaners hired by the city council. However, the beach wasn't 100% clean as there were still tiny bits of rubbish scattered around, with some of the waste being recyclable items. Thus, we proceeded with our assigned cleaning tasks. The weather was fairly good for a day out at the beach, therefore it didn't cause much of a strain for us. After an hour of cleaning, we've finally decided that it was time for a rest. The beach cleaning activity was then called to a halt and we were given a free and easy time.
During this free and easy time, some of the participants enjoyed a relaxing walk along the beach, while others engaged in beach sports which include frisbee and volleyball. About an hour of fun and relaxing activities, it was time for lunch. We gathered around a shady spot and enjoyed a mini picnic with the relaxing sounds of the waves and the refreshing wind from the sea breeze accompanying us throughout the duration of our lunch. At 1pm, after our stomach were filled, we started to pack up our belongings and carry on with the next agenda in the itinerary - PD Ostrich Farm visit. But before leaving the sandy shores, we managed to take a group photo for our memories. At 1.10pm, we left Pantai Saujana and set trail to PD Ostrich Farm with the same convoy of two formations.
Around 35 minutes of journey by car, we've finally arrived at PD Ostrich Farm. We were greeted by the person-in-charge and were given a briefing. At 2.30pm, we started our tour around the farm, where we were given opportunities to feed the animals. Besides, the person-in-charge was kind enough to grant us chances for free rides on animals and free tasting of freshly-plucked fruits. The tour was time-consuming, which took up about 100 minutes of our scheduled event. We were supposed to volunteer in assisting the farm handlers and get involved in farm management works such as cleaning the animal enclosure once our tour was completed. However, due to the fact that it was late and we were tired (as observed by the person-in-charge), the volunteering activity was cancelled.
After the tour, we took a group photo with the person-in-charge and he expressed his gratitude towards our visit to the farm. We took a short rejuvenating break and without further delays, we set path to a PD Famous Cendol, a dessert stall nearby the farm to indulge in a taste of the refreshing local dessert. At 5pm, we finally bid farewell to Port Dickson and were headed back to campus with, once again, the same convoy of two formations. The journey back took around 90 minutes and at last, we safely arrived at Monash University Malaysia at around 6.30pm,. This fun and relaxing event was then concluded.
To sum up, it was indeed an enjoyable event. I've learnt that in order to take care of the environment, we must first understand and appreciate the beauty of mother nature. Each and everyone of us should carry out our responsibility and do our part in maintaining the picturesque environment's well-being because we're all a member of the Earth.
Fun fact : Do not attempt to visit animal sanctuaries with bright-coloured attire.
