Mountain riders
Between earth and sky, mountains provide us with a magnificent sight – their peaks, crests and alpine meadows. The fauna and flora. The colors. And sometimes, all too often, we come across this: waste. From K2 to the Swiss and French mountains, nature is left to deal with these intrusions left by humans: cigarette butts, plastic, metal, household waste and other rubbish of all kinds, with the consequences we can well imagine for our biodiversity.
In order to fight against this scourge, the Mountain Riders association, supported by various partners, has been coordinating a waste reduction program for more than 10 years that aims for the ambitious goal of a “Zero-Waste Mountain” by 2030.
The purpose of this annual operation is to encourage as many people as possible to preserve our mountains through the creation of educational tools which provide a better understanding of the source, typology and pools of waste, the multiplication of awareness campaigns, and the organization of waste collection operations. In 2022, around 1,800 volunteers gathered 11.5 tons of waste during 50 pick-ups. Waste originating from sports, tourism, maintenance and construction activities… reminding us that we are all concerned by this issue.
For its 2023 edition, the “Zero Waste Mountain” campaign is focusing on raising public awareness about reducing litter at its source.
Equestrio Foundation is happy to support Mountain Riders for this new project with the financing of the production of various awareness tools, the creation and development of an educational game for all French mountain ranges, as well as the training of the people who will be promoting this innovative tool.
Learning by playing. Walking while cleaning. Enjoying the mountains while respecting them. In the end, it’s all very simple, isn’t it?
Association
Mountain Riders describes itself as “a happy band of free, passionate and committed sheep, that have bonded in an association dedicated to spreading the word about the ecological transition since 2001”. A flock based in Chambery, France, which never hesitates to explore new territories of action to preserve our precious mountains.
Mountain Riders focuses on 3 main areas: implementation of educational projects and activities for the general public – especially children, support to local inhabitants and tourists in the implementation of sustainable development initiatives, and action through the coordination of the “Zero Waste Mountain” collection campaign. The association works alongside numerous partners and passionate volunteers to carry out its missions.
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Contributors
Photographers, video artists, volunteers, explorers of all kinds, they declare their passion for Mother Nature.