Punk Stewardship in Action: Working with Sungai Watch

Punk Stewardship in Action: Working with Sungai Watch

Punk Stewardship™ isn’t just an idea.

It’s something you do.

Last year I had the opportunity to spend time volunteering with Sungai Watch in Bali, helping remove trash from rivers and mangrove forests before it flows into the ocean.

But the story doesn’t start with an organization.

It starts with a person.

While volunteering in the mangroves I met Md Ani, an older local woman who began cleaning the area years ago completely on her own. Long before large cleanup efforts existed, she simply started picking up trash by herself.

No organization.
No funding.
No campaign.

Just a decision that the mangrove forest deserved better.

Over time other people began joining her. Eventually her work connected with Sungai Watch, and today the effort is part of a much larger movement to stop plastic pollution before it reaches the ocean.

But the spirit behind it is the same.

Someone saw a problem and decided to act.

Cleaning mangrove forests is not for the faint of heart.

The ground is thick, dark mud that can swallow your boots if you’re not careful. Mangrove roots twist and tangle in every direction, and plastic waste wraps itself around those roots or sinks deep into the mud where it’s hard to reach.

The heat and humidity make the work exhausting.

More than once someone lost a boot in the mud, sinking deep enough that water spilled over the top. Walking through the mangroves requires slow, careful movement to avoid slipping or face-planting into the mud or sharp roots hidden beneath the surface.

And the trash itself tells its own story.

Plastic bottles.
Food packaging.
And far too many diapers.

None of it glamorous.

But that’s exactly the point.

Punk Stewardship™ isn’t about aesthetics or social media moments. It’s about taking responsibility for the places we love — even when the work is dirty, uncomfortable, and difficult.

Watching people like Md Ani reminds you that real stewardship doesn’t begin with institutions.

It begins with individuals who decide that waiting for someone else to fix the problem isn’t good enough.

Stewardship is the responsibility that comes with it.

Ride Hard. Care Harder.