hey tribe!

we are living in a world that is becoming dangerously close to witnessing global climate catastrophe. just last year, the whole world was witness to nature’s wrath in the form of floods, cyclones, hurricanes, and wildfires. time to do something is escaping us with every second that passes by but there are still some people and organizations that have taken the pledge to do their part and heal the planet one step at a time. this series of articles will talk about the efforts of such organizations and individuals who are trying to make a difference.

today, we will talk about the Swedish firm that has been training and recruiting crows to pick up discarded cigarette butts from the Swedish city streets. this exercise is part of a cost-cutting drive in Södertälje, near Stockholm organized by a start-up known as Corvid Cleaning.

you might be thinking, “Hey! crows cleaning up the streets. neat trick but how does it make a difference?” in Sweden, more than 62% of all litter are cigarette butts. this means that every year Södertälje alone spends 1.6 million pounds on cleaning the streets. the start-up’s initiative could save 75% of the cleaning costs involved in picking up these discarded cigarette butts.

the crows they will be using are known as new Caledonian crows. these birds are very good at reasoning and therefore are being considered as the smartest birds for the job. according to the researchers, it is easy to teach them, and also there is a very low risk of them accidentally eating any of the butts or any other piece of trash.

now, this might seem like a very small achievement in a place very far away from us. but this also shows us that there is a way out for us to create a visible change that can positively affect our lives while making sure no one else is being hurt.

have a great day.

until next time, live aastey.