Clean water and shade for Chennai: restoring Maple Beach

Maple Beach has been used as an informal dump for years. This July, 120 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 170 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the district council, including native species selected by a local botanist. The area floods more each year, and fish have returned for the first time in a decade after our first cleanup. Restoring it will protect homes and bring back shade. All the labor is volunteered. We just need materials. We'll post planting day photos and a count of every sapling planted. Where the $350 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $120 • Tools and protective gear: $75 • Waste removal and skip hire: $95 • Signage and educational materials: $60 I never thought I'd be the one asking, and I'm grateful for every bit of support.