Welcome to ACUC Close ups! On this opportunity, we would like to introduce our audience to one of our distinguished members of the challenge’s jury: Suzanne Younan.
Suzanne has been living with her family in Hong Kong since 2014. A true nature and animal lover Suzanne was compelled to involve others in her plight to raise awareness. She was forever changed by the devastating effects of Typhoon Hato. After answering a call out to a beach clean-up on Ma Hang beach in Stanley, the impact of the rubbish found on the beach profoundly changed her outlook on the plastic life we lead and prompted her to take action on a larger scale.
She gathered a team of volunteers, Green Dragons HK, to engaged the dragon boat community to reduce single use plastics at training and events. At one race event it can be possible for 3-4,000 single use plastic bottles to be distributed to hydrate the paddlers. The GDHK volunteer group has been working with paddlers, event organisers and sponsors to bring alternative solutions to the single use plastic that is used.
“Educating the young is key to educating the generations on how small changes in our daily life can make a difference to our planet.”
Green Dragons HK now gather more than 1500 paddlers from 42 different teams who pledge to paddle without plastic and perform a short beach clean up after each training.
Suzanne has also recently embarked on a new career as a children’s author, publishing only this year her first environmental book for children called ‘The Green Dragon’. Educating the young is key to educating the generations on how small changes in our daily life can make a difference to our planet.
“Raising awareness to the dangers of plastic pollution is a passion of mine. Being a part of the Adventure Clean Up was an easy decision. I’m very excited to learn what the participants have been doing and learning about their passionate efforts.”
