On Saturday, April 12, ten of our members joined approximately 100 volunteers in the Town of McCandless to clean up roadsides near our future home. Arriving in the morning for the cleanup, we were given instructions and assignments; provided with bright green T-shirts, safety vests, gloves, trash bags, and tools; and offered tasty snacks, before heading out to work in small groups at various
locations.
We picked up plenty of what might typically be considered “litter,” including many plastic and fast-food packaging items; beverage cans and bottles, and lots of tossed cigarette butts. In addition, our folks scored some interesting finds. Among those were a very large egg (maybe goose or wild turkey?) an Azul game tile, a $1.00 bill, a barrel-sized construction marker, various automobile pieces, and a broken wooden desk!
According to township officials 210 bags of trash were collected this year, adding to the total of 2400 bags since 2018. They noted that the event “enhances the community through beautification and a strengthening of community spirit,” and anticipate that it will grow even larger next year.
Although seeing the amount of trash that accidentally or purposefully appears along our roadways is saddening, helping to clean up a bit of the planet during “Earth Month” gave us a chance to learn about some of the township’s other sustainability projects, and to meet and talk with soon-to-be new neighbors.
Our hungry but happy crew gathered afterwards at a nearby restaurant, and even managed to briefly say hello via Zoom to new Inquirers on the afternoon introductory session.
– Becky Lubold, Founding member and future resident of RCE