The environmental organisation “Mes Darom”, together with “Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025”, concluded the month-long autumn initiative cycle “NeužsiDAROM”. The campaign, which took place in four different locations in the capital, brought together nearly a thousand residents of Vilnius city, who cleaned up decades of garbage, planted a new forest belonging to the city, and tidied up public spaces, proving once again that concern for the environment does not end at the doorstep.

The organisers are delighted that the residents of Vilnius were not deterred by the autumn weather or physical labour – every weekend, the ranks of volunteers were full, and the changes are clearly visible both in the forests and on the city’s shores.

Heroes in Paneriai were not deterred by the rain

The first event in the cycle, which took place in Paneriai, was a real test of the volunteers’ determination. Although it was heavily raining on Saturday morning and there were doubts about the number of participants, more than 60% of those who had registered gathered at Paneriai memorial, determined to take part in the “wettest clean-up campaign”.

In just two hours, volunteers removed an unimaginable amount of waste from the sensitive and historically important area surrounding the memorial. Tyres, car parts, construction debris and other large items of waste were hidden in the woods. The final result was more than 15,000 kg of rubbish and as many as 220 tyres, which finally ended up where they should be, i.e. in the waste management system, rather than lying on the forest floor.

“We simply cannot call the participants anything other than heroes. Not only because they were not deterred by heavy rain, but also because they decided to clean up what had been accumulating here for decades,” says the Head of Communications Edvardas Baltuška.

The birth of a new forest and double the work

The second stop of the campaign “neužsiDAROM” on Stepono Batoro Street was marked by double benefits for nature. Over 300 Vilnius residents gathered here and accomplished two major tasks: they finished planting a new city forest and collected rubbish in Pavilniai Regional Park.

During the volunteer event, the last 300 trees were planted, adding to the forest that had already been started. In total, more than 1,500 trees will now grow in this new forest in Vilnius city. After planting, the volunteers cleaned up the surrounding woods, collecting rubbish, tidying up the edges and collecting 5,300 kg of rubbish and 17 tyres.

From the shores of the lake to the paths of the river Neris

The third campaign moved to Verkiai Regional Park, near the lake Balsys, a favourite spot for Vilnius residents. Here, more than 200 participants demonstrated impressive speed – in a few hours, they tidied up about 20 hectares of forest area, which is equivalent to almost 30 football fields.

With the help of our partners at North Clarity, this campaign focused not only on collecting rubbish, but also on preparing the environment for winter – around 5,000 litres of fallen leaves were collected from the beach. Now this place is ready for the new season: clean, cosy and open to all residents of the city.

The final touch was added at Žirmūnai Beach, where over 150 volunteers gathered on the banks of the river Neris and nearby paths. Here, rubbish was collected, leaves were raked, and slopes were tidied up here. The participants were surprised by the variety and quantity of rubbish found – two shopping trolleys, a television, an office chair and numerous tyres.

A community that inspires

The organisers note that these campaigns have become not only a celebration of cleanliness, but also of a festival of education and community spirit.

The team of “Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025” emphasises that such initiatives are an integral part of the vision of the city. “The European Green Capital is not just a title or strategic documents. First and foremost, it is the people who are creating change with their own hands. Hundreds of Vilnius residents who have dedicated their weekends to a cleaner city are the best proof that Vilnius is ready to lead the way in sustainability and set an example for other cities,” says Jurga Pociūtė-Mikūtienė, Head of the project “Vilnius – European Green Capital 2025” implemented Vilnius City Municipality’.

According to Edvardas Baltuška, Head of Communications at the public institution “Mes Darom”, the organisers were particularly surprised by the loyalty of the volunteers: “At least a dozen volunteers participated in all four campaigns. Although we issue certificates of social hours after each campaign, a significant number of students joined even after they had already accumulated the required number of hours. This shows how highly motivated the people who come to us are.”

The clean-up company North Clarity also significantly contributed to the success of the campaigns:
“These campaigns have once again shown that real change comes from the community. It is important for us not only to clean up spaces, but also to be together with those who are creating a cleaner city with their own hands. We are proud to contribute to an initiative that inspires and shows the way forward for all residents of Vilnius,” says Aivaras Sneigys, Director of the company North Clarity.

The autumn campaign “neužsiDAROM” continues its goal of doing 100 good deeds for nature by the end of the year, together with schools, communities and companies. The organisers invite everyone to continue registering initiatives “Darom kartu su SDG” and remind us that sometimes all it takes is a weekend or a few hours to change the environment beyond recognition.