INGE
Inge is a 57-year old cleanup volunteer with Dråben i Havet, living in Frederiksberg. Inge uses the power of education through her work as a pedagogue, to prepare the next generation to be responsible about the issue of waste.
A COMMUNITY LEADER
Inge works with children from 0-6 years old where, as she mentions, it is very natural to talk about nature, waste, and what children can do to protect their environment by not polluting.
Leading by example, Inge also contributes a lot of her free time to Dråben i Havet, a voluntary group of everyday citizens in Frederiksberg who came together to do something for their area. The organisation frequently organises cleanup walks, supported by Frederiksberg municipality, who lends them the equipment for waste collection. Dråben i Havet believes in cleaner cities and clean oceans locally and globally.
Seeing waste as a problem that not only requires immediate action, but also one of taking responsibility, Inge also collects cigarette butts on her morning walks with her dog - around 200 cigarette butts a day!
THE OCEAN AS A NATURAL GEM
Inge has some fond experiences and memories from being close to the ocean, especially from her times in Tønder while visiting her brother, and walking along the Wadden Sea (Vadehavet) - a protected site, part of UNESCO World Heritage. Inge describes this place as a true gem, and a great biodiversity hotspot for breeding and migrating birds. According to UNESCO, approximately 6.1 million birds can be present in the Wadden Sea at once, and an average of 10-12 million birds pass through it each year.
“There is always something new to look at when I walk by the sea. Regardless of the wind and weather, the season, or the time of day. The sea gives life to so many animals and there are still so many mysteries that remain unresolved. Just walking by the ocean gives me peace and a sense of well-being.”
For Inge, Jacques-Yves Cousteau is a great inspiration and a hero, for showing the world life under water through his campaigns, studies and operations.
A PEBBLE OF ADVICE
Inge feels that the #Tavaha slogan suits her lifestyle very well. She said, “I do what is in my power”. Her #tavahatips are:
Stop throwing waste in the sea
Respect our oceans and their biodiversity
Join a cleanup!