The 5th edition of the “Clean Tatra Mountains” initiative is coming soon

On 1-2 July, volunteers from across Poland will arrive in Zakopane, already for the 5^th time, to take part in the “Clean Tatra Mountains” initiative and clean up mountain trails together with the initiative’s ambassadors and organizers. The “Clean Poland” Association and Rafał Sonik, its President, are the main initiators of this project.

Although the “Clean Tatra Mountains” initiative organized by the “Clean Poland” Association has had only five editions so far, the effects of its short history are stunning. Each year, the idea of cleaning the Tatras together unites a group of committed volunteers, well-known travellers, scientists, sportspeople and those involved in show business, as well as numerous institutions and companies which care about the condition of the most beautiful Polish mountains. As many as 4,747 volunteers were engaged in the last year’s cleaning of Poland under the “Clean Tatra Mountains” initiative and the partnership Barefoot “Clean Beach” Project. The organizers expect that this year’s edition will attract a comparable number of participants and encourage those interested to register. This year, the organizers have ambitious plans to beat the Guinness record in arranging the largest figure of recyclable materials!

– “Clean Tatra Mountains” is the first and the most extensive initiative of this type in Poland – says Rafał Sonik, President of the “Clean Poland” Association. – Each time we go out together on the trail, I feel how important and useful this project is for entire Poland. If there are people interested in initiating such projects, they deserve being helped. This makes Poles better and more conscientious people. I always find it extremely elevating that together, in such a large group, we can do something good – added the winner of the famous Dakar Rally and its frequent participant.

Within four years, 11.5 thousand volunteers have picked together almost 4,000 kg of litter left on the trails. Although the amount of litter picked is luckily decreasing, this does not mean that there is less need to build environmental awareness. This does not mean either that Poles leave less litter in the mountains, by the sea or in other popular protected tourist sites. The idea behind the “Clean Tatra Mountains” initiative attracts more and more people. It is also covered extensively in the media. All this increases the awareness of the importance of environmental education and its practical dimension – not littering the most precious corners of Poland.

Although the amount of litter picked every year is decreasing, the idea and the main objective of the project remain invariably important. – Once cleaned places can be littered again, but once changed attitude can be pursued forever. And this is what our goal is. To educate and make all those who love the Tatra mountains aware of the importance of environmental attitude to our mountains. I hope that we will meet again in July to clean the Tatras together! – said Rafał Sonik.

The fifth edition of the initiative has attracted as usual well-known and popular travellers, scientists, sportspeople and those representing show business. This year, the group of Ambassadors has been joined by:

• Rafał Sonik – businessman, winner of the Dakar Rally and its frequent participant
• Bartek Jędrzejak – weather presenter on TVN
• Anna Kerth – film, TV and theater actress, life coach
• Misheel Jargalsaikhan – TV actress, Zosia from “Rodzina Zastępcza” TV series
• Magdalena Małochleb – Miss of Małopolska 2014, photo model
• Mateusz Ligocki – snowboarder, Olympian
• Marcin Wyrostek – accordionist, participant of the “Mam Talent” show
• Piotr Pustelnik – mountaineer and climber, conqueror of the Crown of the Himalayas and Karakorum
• Marcin Świerc – mountain runner, participant of the European and World Championships
• “Piersi” band
• Maria Niklińska – film, TV and theater actress, singer – released a studio album entitled “Maria”
• Adrianna Palka – personal trainer, 4F Ambassador
• Mateusz Janicki – film, TV and theater actor
• Piotr Baska – sailor, diver, cyclist and traveller
• Cecylia Kukuczka – the wife of Jerzy Kukuczka, the mountaineer
• Leszek Cichy – mountaineer
• Jakub Wrana – life and business coach
• Mariusz Szwed – chef, participant of the Master Chef show
• Charles Daigneault – chef, participant of the Master Chef show
• Andrzej Młynarczyk – film, TV and theater actor
• Michał Ligocki – snowboarder, Olympian
• “Łzy” band
• “FutureFolk” band
• “Pudelsi” band