Community service volunteers?

Chirimoya

Well-known member
Dec 9, 2002
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I was going to post in another thread where rubbish in the DR is being discussed, but the combination of hot air and verbal garbage was too much for my delicate sensibilities, so I headed for the less toxic climes of the Environment Forum.

I was in the Jardin Botanico in Santo Domingo a couple of Sundays ago and there was a group of teenagers collecting litter. I asked them what they were doing and they told me it was their school's 'community service task' (they may have used a slightly different term but that was the gist of it). I asked if the Zoo also benefited from this scheme but they didn't know.

For those who have never been, Santo Domingo Zoo is basically quite good, well-designed and all that, but it suffers from obvious neglect and underfunding. One of the less costly things that would improve it is a good clean-up.

In contrast, the Botanico is spotless and well-kept, something to do with it being run by a privately-funded foundation, not just by the state, but also thanks to these volunteers.

Does anyone know what this scheme is called, who coordinates it, and how I might contact them? I may even consider organising my own 'brigade' for the Zoo, although I think it is great that secondary school children take part in these activities. It should help prevent the development a new generation of people who think nothing of chucking litter out of car windows, in parks, squares and streets.

Chiri