100 researchers clean Copenhagen streets before science conference

One hundred international researchers spent Tuesday morning collecting litter in Copenhagen before the start of a molecular biology conference, DR reports.

The cleanup was organized by Wonderful Copenhagen, the city’s tourism body, as part of its CopenPay initiative, which rewards visitors for contributing to the city.

Demand to join the pre-conference activity was high, with a waiting list forming. Participants, including evolutionary biologist Victoria Shabardina from Barcelona, gathered from 7:30 a.m. to pick up cigarette butts and empty bottles.

Shabardina said the effort aligned with her work in biology. “When you work in biology, it’s natural to want to care for nature,” she told DR. “My home is the whole planet, so I want to help where I can.”