Since the official mountain paths within Fragrant Hills Park are maintained by sanitation workers who collect litter, this activity was held on a so-called “minor Shambhala” — an unofficial trail known among hikers. Though this path falls into a “no-man’s land” of management, it is still frequented by many hiking enthusiasts, resulting in considerable litter along the way.
Members of the Nature Friends Mountaineering Team are intently removing white plastic waste from trees.
The hiking path is challenging, with many sections featuring narrow and steep steps. Yu Haiyu, a member of the Nature Friends Mountaineering Team, holds a plastic bag and tongs,as he picks up litter scattered along both sides of the trail. “A lot of trash gets hidden in the crevices between rocks,” Yu said with a smile as he moved aside stones to collect waste. “These drink cans, food wrappers, and broken ceramic cups are ‘well hidden.’”’A particularly special volunteer at the scene was3-year-old Niuniu, who was hiking for the first time. Niuniu’s parents said they were happy to bring their child to such an outdoor public welfare activity because it provided both an opportunity for physical exercise and a chance to instill environmental awareness from a young age.
Qu Zhixing, wearing a jacket made of Gore-Tex?fabric, directed team members and volunteers in clearing the litter.
Team leader Qu Zhixing told reporters: “On such rugged mountain trails,the protection offered by outdoor gear is very evident. Issues like scratches from thorny bushes or discomfort caused by sweating can all lead to physical distress and affect the hiking experience. The Gore-Tex?fabric clothing worn by everyone today handled these situations very well.”
The Nature Friends Mountaineering Team was established in2005. Since its founding, the team has upheld the slogan “Climb a mountain, clear a trail” in carrying out mountaineering, environmental, and educational support activities. As early as2008, Qu Zhixing forged a connection withGore, and during thesecond“Endless Experience — Gore-Tex Outdoor Dreams Come True” event, Qu Zhixing’s proposal for a “Miao and Dong Cultural Exploration Tour in Southeastern Guizhou” won the annual championship, earning a full set of outdoor gear sponsored by Gore. In the four years that followed,TMIn the "Outdoor Dreams Realization Event," Qu Zhixing's proposal for the "Miao and Dong Ethnic Culture Exploration Tour in Southeastern Guizhou" won the annual championship, earning him a full set of outdoor gear provided by Gore. Over the following four years,the outdoor and public welfare activities of the Nature Friends Mountaineering Team alsoreceived support from Gore.
"Protecting the environment starts with personal action, not just slogans and empty words.If you truly love the environment while hiking,you should put that love into practice. This is the mission of hikers to protect the natural environment." The team leader, Qu Zhixing, said with satisfaction as he watched the lively Niu Niu moving ahead.
Qu Zhixing introduced the achievements and future plans of this "Qingxiang Activity" to the reporter.
After the event, Qu Zhixing told the reporter that this"Qingxiang Activity"collected a total of40large bags of trash, weighing about300jin. In the days to come,the Friends of Nature Hiking Team will continue to organize a weekly hiking environmental protection activity, two large-scale hiking environmental protection events around Beijing and in other provinces and cities each month, and one15approximately one-day-long large-scale public welfare environmental protection outdoor activity each year. They alsohope to promote and advocate environmentally friendly behavior in outdoor hiking,by conducting continuous professional surveys,to analyze the composition of outdoor trash and the harm it causes to nature, thereby conveying the message more vividly to the public.
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