Sometimes, success isn’t measured by how much garbage we collect — but by how much less garbage there is to collect.
On Saturday, September 19th, 2026, the Rotary Club of Maracas St. Joseph joined forces with an incredible group of community partners and young volunteers as part of the International Coastal Cleanup.
From as early as 8:00 a.m., volunteers gathered at the Maracas Valley Community Center, ready to put service into action.
Working together were volunteers from: Rotary Club of Maracas St. Joseph Interact Club of St. Joseph Convent St. Joseph Police Youth Club Maracas Valley Community Council Coosal’s Limited.
The volunteers were divided into two teams, with groups deployed to the Morang River Trail and the Maracas Waterfall Trail. And the mission was clear: collect it, sort it, count it and weigh it!
The waste collected along the two sites was carefully separated into Glass, Plastic and General Waste before being tallied and weighed. THE RESULT: 164 LBS OF GARBAGE COLLECTED! But there is an even more encouraging story behind that number.
According to the cleanup records and observations from the participating teams, the amount of garbage being left along both trails is showing a declining trend. And THAT is something worth celebrating!
A declining amount of litter means that our collective efforts to promote responsible waste disposal and environmental stewardship are beginning to make a difference.
It means fewer bottles, containers and other discarded items finding their way into our beautiful natural spaces. It means volunteers are not simply cleaning up — they are helping to change behaviour.
And it demonstrates something very important: COMMUNITY ACTION WORKS! The trails around the Morang River and Maracas Waterfall are part of the natural heritage of our community.
They provide opportunities for recreation, connection with nature and enjoyment of the incredible environment that surrounds us. Protecting these spaces requires all of us. To every volunteer who gave their time, energy and Saturday morning to this initiative — THANK YOU!
To our community partners and supporters — THANK YOU for standing with us. And to everyone who visits these beautiful trails: PLEASE TAKE YOUR GARBAGE WITH YOU & LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS. TAKE ONLY MEMORIES.
The goal isn’t to collect more garbage next year. The goal is to have even less garbage to collect. That’s the success story we want to continue writing.
Cleaner trails. Healthier rivers. Stronger communities. A greener Trinidad and Tobago.
