The "Litter Pickers", dedicated to keeping our Valley beautiful.

Those of us who have chosen to live in the Valle del Pop, in the beautiful Marina Alta, need no reminding that it is a place of outstanding beauty. The mountain backdrop, the endless vineyards and orchards, the stunning Spanish pueblos... it is hard to find fault in any of it.

It comes as no surprise then, that the only ugly thing to catch your eye here, as you explore this idyllic setting, is man made. Litter is a problem all over the world. We are, only now, becoming painfully aware of the dire consequences of our over population and consumerism. The governments of the world are united in their plight to clean up the mess left by generations of a "throw away" society. We all have to do our bit to improve our habits in order to preserve our planet.

Reduce, Re-use and Recycle.

We are all invested in the three R´s. Most of us, in fact, have made considerable changes to our lives in order to reduce our carbon footprint. This is great news and we are hopefully, sewing the seed for our future generations to be infinitely more aware of how they live their lives and how it impacts the earth. However, we can all make a difference, with immediate effect, if we start a little closer to home.

Start in your own backyard.

Most of the locals and residents of the pueblos in the Valley have long lamented the litter louting and fly tipping that has always been a problem here. We have complained and griped among ourselves and possibly to the local town halls. However, for one group of people, this just was not enough.

They call themselves The Litter Pickers, Zwerfvuilruimers, Picadores de Basura of Jalón, (thats litter pickers ,in 3 languages, of rubbish in Jalón)

The name is an international one, which demonstrates that this small organisation is doing a BIG job. They are people of all ages and nationalities who feel that they want to do more than just complain about the litter. They are dedicated to the preservation of the environment and ecosystem restoration. They have collected hundreds of bags of refuse and they have made a difference.

All of us here at Jacaranda Spain, love the place we are lucky enough to call home. So it really was a "no brainer" when the Litter Pickers reached out to us for support. We were happy to offer sponsorship in a small way and we hope to see other local businesses doing likewise. 

The Litter Pickers give up their time selflessly, to go out, with a bag and a litter picker, and collect the refuse thrown away on a daily basis. These bags are collected and taken to the bins and the eco park. They do it, for no other reason, than to keep the Valley beautiful. The Valley is visibly cleaner and their presence is making people think. The sight of these people in their high vis vests walking along picking up empty food wrappings, aluminium foil, soft drink cans and bottles has given us all pause to think. This small group of eco warriors have done a remarkable thing and the repercussions will go on.

Litter Pickers of Jalón, we salute you and thank you for your amazing work.

If you think you can help in any way, the Litter Pickers will be happy to hear from you. Follow them on facebook and give support by liking and sharing their posts. Together we can make a difference.

The Litter Pickers of Jalon FB page