BEE Japan: 13 years in the making--2009 Team Gearing up for Wakkanai

11 April 2009--Starting in Japan’s northernmost city, Wakkanai, BEE Japan will begin its annual trek on 3 August, crossing the four major islands in Japan’s archipelago in an effort to promote environmental awareness and action.

The ride will pass through Sapporo, Aomori, Sado Island, Tokyo, Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Tokushima, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima, before ending in Okinawa in the middle of October. The entire ride is expected to last about 10 weeks and stretch over approximately 3500 kilometers.

It’s hard to be living in the world today and not hear about the importance of sustainable living. There are many projections about temperatures and sea levels rising and diverse ecosystems disappearing---all of which will irreversibly alter this planet. But what exactly does sustainable living mean, and how can regular people contribute to making the earth a cleaner home for future generations to inherit? BEE Japan volunteer riders are devoting themselves not just to spread awareness about environmental issues, but to also provide people in one of the world’s most affluent countries with alternative means of living that will reduce the toll humans are taking on our environment.

In addition to promoting environmental enlightenment, BEE Japan will raise money at charity events during the months leading up to the ride and throughout the trip. These proceeds will go towards supporting environmental NPOs, Japan for Sustainability and We21Japan, as well as supporting future BEE Japan rides.

Planned activities along the route include discussions and presentations focusing on sustainability, vegetarian cooking classes, school visits, and volunteer and clean-up activities with local organizations.

This year’s team consists of 8 riders from The US, Canada, Spain, and Brazil. Most participants are currently residing and teaching in Japan, 4 of whom are, just as the founders of BEE in 1997, participants on the JET Programme (Japan Exchange and Teaching). BEE 2009 Team Leaders are Salem Willard of Atlanta, US and Lindsey Tulloch of Niagara Falls, Canada.

For more information contact BEE Japan’s Public Relations Liaison, Mark Buckton at press@beejapan.org

LINK :
BEE Japan