When Sneha Shahi led a campaign to clean up the filthy river that winds through the campus of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Gujarat, India, she got something of a shock -- the return of crocodiles to the stream.

The clean-up was started as part of UNEP’s Tide Turners Plastic Challenge campaign. Funded by the United Kingdom since 2018, the Challenge has reached over 225,000 youth in 25 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

Shahi organised a clean-up of the campus river and around 300 kgs of waste were removed, segregated and recycled. Bulk plastics and thermocol were cleaned and moulded into small planters and wall hangings. Glass bottles were sent for recycling. The project was extended and overall the group removed an enormous 700 kgs of waste from an 800-metre long stretch.

That’s when the wildlife began to return. Shahi and her team were delighted to see the return of Gangetic Flapshell turtles and crocodiles that swam up the tributary from the main river during the monsoon rains. Plant life and insects have also returned.

Read more about Shahi’s project here. 

Check out the Tide Turners Plastic Challenge here. 

Feeling inspired? Join #GenerationRestoration here and show your support for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.