They say that they were inspired to collect waste by the unique and divine nature, and they call on citizens to take personal responsibility and say that what we leave behind is not just a physical trace in nature, but also a relationship with the space we live in. Civic and environmental activist Aleksandar Dragićević welcomes their community and reminds them that patriotism is also demonstrated by participating in such actions.
It is not clean where there is constant cleaning, but where there is no littering – is the message of the group of enthusiasts and volunteers Čista gora, who organize regular cleaning actions of beaches, parks and mountain trails. The group is made up mostly of immigrants from the former USSR republics, and since 2023 alone they have carried out almost fifty actions in different locations.
Member and representative of the activist community, Mateo Polaković, says that everything starts with personal responsibility.
"What we leave behind is not only a physical trace in nature, but also our relationship to the space we live in. That's why it's important not to leave any traces behind, neither physical nor moral. If we come to nature, we behave as guests, not as owners," says Polaković.
He claims that they were inspired by the unique and divine nature of the area. He joined the first action in 2016 with a group of artists on the coast of Kotor.
"We always chose locations that were heavily affected by litter. We did a clean-up campaign in the Ratac Nature Park, where we collected more than a ton of litter. They collected the same amount in the Rikovac Riverbed at Vidiravan in Nikšić, on Lake Skadar. Buljarice in particular constantly suffers from litter," says Polaković.
He emphasizes that they have good cooperation with local institutions, especially when it comes to reports of improperly disposed waste. He has taught ecology classes in numerous schools, and calls on all educational institutions to cooperate and educate the youngest, emphasizing that good practices can take root while young people are being formed.
Civic and environmental activist Aleksandar Dragičević describes his experience with Čista gora, recalling that about twenty of them even participated in extinguishing the fire on Buljarica last summer.
"What's really nice is that these are people who live in Montenegro, who are integrated, who want to live in a better place. I think that's one of the best ways to connect with the local community and show that they belong there," Dragićević said.
He believes that the involvement of Montenegrin citizens in such initiatives must be significantly and visibly greater because this is how patriotism and respect are shown.
"What is evident is that a very small number of Montenegrin citizens join them in these actions, which seems to me to say that we are not interested in helping and showing patriotism in that way," says Dragićević.
As a reminder, the group was created on the basis of foreign communities in 2022, when a large number of refugees and immigrants arrived in Montenegro.
