Beer bottles, cigarette butts, candy papers and cans. It is a selection of the waste that can be found in the water and on the beach of the Gasselterveld in Gasselte on Monday. So there is work to be done.
“It is such a small effort to clean it up and take it with you,” says forester Kees van Son of Staatsbosbeheer, while putting candy papers in a garbage bag. “A package around food or drinks, take it full and then it is empty and light and you don’t take it back,” says the forester with surprise.
Although the weather was nice last weekend and so many people went to the swimming pools in Drenthe, Van Son is not too bad with the mess at the Gasselterveld. “Last night there was also a clean -up round here. But the toilet block here remains open. Then we will see that a lot of junk has been added after 8 p.m.”
Staatsbosbeheer does not do this clean -up campaign alone. Together with recreation entrepreneurs from the area, such as DX Adventure Park, De Kremmer holiday park, Koerscafé and Strand34, cleaning is made on the beach and in the water with SUPs and boats. “We go up to one and a half meters deep. Unfortunately, we sometimes come across glass. If we or a child stands on it, that is not very nice,” says Siska Kanninga from Strand34.
There are seventy trash cans around the lake and a large container at the kiosk. “A bit of junk is released, while cleaning every day,” Van Son explains. “The waste bins are emptied every day. It is a pity that this clean -up campaign has to be, but of course we want to recreate in a clean environment.”
It doesn’t stop with this one action. “We want to continue this with the entrepreneurs. Maybe every first Monday of the month,” says Van Son. “I am grateful for the help we get. Together we have to keep it clean.”