The Church of God in San Diego joined forces with all the other churches of God in the area to host the 7288th Worldwide Cleanup as part of ASEZ WAO Blue Ocean. ASEZ WAO took the lead in cleaning up South Shores Park from an invasive species of plant. They partnered with the San Diego Audubon Society and the California Native Plants Society.
ASEZ WAO is the World Mission Society Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group. ASEZ stands for “Save the Earth from A to Z,” which means “Save the world from the beginning to the end.” WAO stands for “We Are One Family.” Put together, ASEZ WAO means “Let us save the earth from the beginning to the end as one family.”
This event marked the 7288th worldwide cleanup for the campaign Blue Ocean
ASEZ WAO endured the heat to collect more than 20 bags of invasive plants and other waste. However, it was not just a matter of gathering the plants. To ensure the seeds wouldn’t spread during the process, each plant had to be bagged and discarded carefully. What made the event more joyful was the willingness of each volunteer to go above and beyond to ensure everything was completed as advised by the Conservation Manager.
“What you did in one hour would have taken us days to accomplish.”
Cristina Santa-Maria, the Conservation Manager for San Diego Audubon Society
The South Shores park was viewed as an eyesore by the residents who visit the marina regularly. However, the plant removal went beyond the aesthetic benefit. Native plants and insects, such as bees are now able to thrive receiving all the nutrients that they need to remain alive and not go extinct.
The Blue Ocean campaign takes the lead in saving the streams, the rivers, the beaches, and the seas. It contains two major parts. First, cleaning up streams, rivers and beaches. The second being marine ecosystem protection. As part of its Blue Ocean campaign, ASEZ WAO currently operates in 12 countries with over 5,500 volunteers and has collected over 25,000 kilograms of waste.
This marked the beginning of the Blue Ocean effort in the San Diego area. ASEZ WAO will continue its effort to protect the marine ecosystem by raising awareness and cleaning up streams, rivers, and beaches throughout the world.
