Armenian Muskie and UGRAD Alumni Clean Part of Lake Sevan's Shore

On August 22, 2009, in celebration of the recent International Youth Day, eleven UGRAD and Muskie alumni and two IREX staff members worked together in cleaning a small area of Lake Sevan’s polluted shore.

Despite the cold weather, the attending alumni diligently covered a quarter mile stretch of Sevan’s shore, picking up trash that had accumulated over many months. Over two hours, alumni collected dozens of trash bags full of cigarette butts, bottle caps, empty bottles, and plastic bags while asking visitors to be more environmentally conscious by cleaning up after themselves.

During the day, the alumni also discussed their experiences in the United States, particularly in dealing with community service. The alumni concluded that while the concept of community service is widely accepted in the U.S., they need to encourage friends and colleagues to be more active within the community for Armenia’s benefit.

At the end of the event, the alumni enjoyed a traditional Armenian barbeque while discussing Armenia’s environmental challenges. 2000 Muskie alumnus Norayr Vardanyan stated that he was concerned with the current trend in deforestation and tree cutting in Armenia’s urban areas. Despite having returned to Armenia eight years ago, Vardanyan continues to volunteer, saying, “It is another chance for me to help people in need, improve the environment, and also provides the opportunity for me to meet other alumni and interesting people.”

(Story originally posted on the ECA State Alumni website.)