UAE's Filipino mountaineers organise second clean up drive next month

Dubai: For their love of the outdoors and passion to keep the environment clean, members of Dubai-based Filipino Mountaineers Federation (FMF) are holding their second beach clean-up drive this year at Al Sufouh Beach on September 18.

“We are expecting more than 250 participants. This is our second organised clean up drive and this event is sanctioned by the Dubai Municipality,” April Grace, FMF secretary, told Gulf News.

She added: “We are a non-profit organisation established in the UAE on February 2013. Our core value is to share our passion for adventure and the outdoors. We are passionately involved in activities such as camping, hiking, trekking, indoor and rock climbing, canyoneering, caving, scuba diving, and the like. And as such, we strictly adhere to the ‘Leave No Trace principle’ in all our activities to minimise our footprint and prevent any adverse impact to the environment.”

The first clean up drive titled “Preserve today, secure tomorrow” by the group was held in July this year at Mamzar Beach, Dubai. Around 100 individuals joined the campaign.

How to join

Grace said everyone is welcome to join the clean-up drive. “It is not required to be an official member of FMF to be a part of this rewarding experience. Please contact our FMF public relations team for specifics and more details.

She added: “Those who really want to pursue their passion for adventure and the outdoors can become an FMF member. Basically prior to an official membership, we require newbies to be actively involved in two minor and one major climbing events with FMF.”