The 7325th Worldwide Cleanup Campaign

On Sunday, July 9, 2023, the World Mission Society Church of God hosted an environmental clean up at Koonung Creek, Boronia Grove Reserve in Doncaster East. This cleanup event was the World Mission Society Church of God’s 7,325th worldwide cleanup event.

A total of 92 enthusiastic volunteers, including church members, their family and friends gathered together on a chilly winter’s morning to clean up the area around the reserve and creek.

Koonung Creek is a small tributary of the Yarra River which flows for 11km. It originates in the Nunawading area and flows to the border of Ivanhoe East, Bulleen, and Balwyn North where it joins up with the Yarra River. Following alongside the creek is the Koonung Creek Trail which is a shared pathway used by many pedestrians and cyclists.

Koonung Creek is also a prominent feature of many parks and reserves along it’s path, including Boronia Grove Reserve.

The health of Melbourne’s waterways is vital in protecting the life of the native flora and fauna within the areas connected to these waterways and has a direct impact on marine life. Koonung Creek, itself, is also home to several different species of frog.

However, Melbourne Water rated the condition of the creek as “very poor” and named it the unhealthiest waterway in Melbourne based on the levels of the E. Coli bacterium detected.

The level of pollution within Koonung Creek inadvertently effects the pollution levels of the Yarra River which, in turn, effects the pollution levels of the ocean.

While the local city council are working to maintain a clean environment, the lack of human resources has made it difficult to stay on top of keeping rubbish cleared out of the waterways. Considering that Koonung Creek is connected to many popular parks and reserves frequented by people, it often collects litter.

That’s why cleanup activities conducted around Melbourne’s Waterways, such as Koonung Creek, are so important for the environment as they help maintain and improve the health and vitality of the human, animal, and plant life within those environments.

Deputy Mayor of Manningham City Council Thomas Lightbody attended the event and spent some time cleaning up the area with the volunteers.

The cleanup event lasted for two hours, starting at 10 a.m., and resulted in a total of 1,200 kg of rubbish being collected and cleared from the area. The majority of the rubbish collected was pulled from the Koonung creek bed and included plastics and hard waste such as a shopping trolley, lawnmower, and a few bicycles.

The Deputy Mayor Thomas Lightbody was so impressed with the initiative that he posted about attending the event on his Instagram page.

Mayor Thomas commented on how great it was for groups like the World Mission Society Church of God to proactively improve the environment within the council through cleanup activities. He added that he looks forward to participating in similar events in the future.

The World Mission Society Church of God have regularly conducted cleanup activities around Koonung Creek in an effort to improve the conditions of Melbourne’s Waterways. The Church maintains great enthusiasm for environmental activities, following the principle teachings of God the Mother.

It is said that a mother’s love can change the world. Abiding by these principles, the World Mission Society Church of God plans to continue conducting many more environmental cleanup events in the future.