River Cleanup and Youth Awareness

 The Clean River Initiative was founded with the goal of cleaning up the rivers of Occitania by removing the trash that pollutes them. The Orb River is currently the main focus of this group, founded by Johan Roussel.

"I’m a recreational angler, mostly in freshwater," he says.  Wherever I went, it was always the same story: it’s dirty. On every fishing trip, I always took a bag or a bucket to collect the trash.  I found myself caught in a cycle where I realized it was everywhere. The day I decided something really had to be done, I was on the Aude River, between Fleury and Lespignan.  There were astronomical amounts of polystyrene floating and gradually drifting out to sea. I told myself I needed some help to clean it up.  The association was born just like that, on a whim."

The name Clean River Initiative also came to him spontaneously. It brings together a core group of friends around Béziers, although the headquarters are in the Aude department.  The group’s objectives are threefold: organizing cleanup sessions, raising awareness via social media—including through YouTube videos—and educating with the goal of reaching out to children in schools.  "Beyond the environmental aspect, there is the health aspect. Today, plastic is everywhere. Even those who want to take care of their health are constantly ingesting it," emphasizes Johan Roussel

Midi Libre, January 15, 2025

Difficulty level: Easy