Alanna Gillis

Staff Writer

amg7393@psu.edu

September 18th is National Cleanup Day. Held in conjunction with International Coastal Cleanup Day and World Cleanup Day, this effort to protect and restore the environment of our nation boasts the participation of millions of participants.

Due to our proximity with the Great Lakes, Penn State Behrend took part in National Coastal Cleanup efforts. There are 19 total sites in Erie County that are a part of National Coastal Cleanup. Penn State Behrend participates in not one, but two sites for cleanup. Mercyhurst and Gannon each only maintain one.

The sites that we cleaned up as part of National Coastal Cleanup were Wintergreen Gorge here on campus and Six Mile Creek off campus. Each day, a group of students and faculty came out in hopes to create a cleaner community and by doing so, removed over 150 pounds of trash from our environment.

It’s important to remember that every little bit helps. Even if you can’t make it to clean-up or community service events, picking up and throwing out or recycling pieces of litter you see around campus helps tremendously. Small acts add up-and by doing them you are contributing to a cleaner campus.

Day 1-Wintergreen Gorge

Friday, Sept 17

Keeping the Behrend campus beautiful is something we all can do. However, sometimes we accidentally leave things behind, or outside hikers leave their trash on our trails. In an effort to restore the beauty and protect the environment here on campus, a group of students, faculty and Hannah, who works with Civic Engagement here on campus took to the trails. I had the honor to be one of the students who joined this effort.

In order to help the National Coastal Cleanup organization collect accurate data, each group filled out a data sheet, which detailed the number of and each type of piece of litter picked up. We were looking for anything that could be considered garbage: cigarette butts, plastic bottles, cans, and food wrappers being the most common.

Each participant, armed with a trash bag and gloves, hiked the gorge trail in search of trash to be collected. We had with us a member of Police Services to help with the safe disposal of any sharp or possibly hazardous material we found during our clean-up effort.

By the end of the two-hour clean-up event, 113 pounds of garbage had been collected from the Wintergreen Gorge trails. This totaled to about 11 bags full of litter. In the spirit of eco-friendly competition, the groups were tasked with finding the weirdest piece of litter. I can say with confidence that my group won this competition. We found an antique ice skate and an antique receipt printer!

Unique finds held by freshman Matt Bernardi (left) and sophomore Bryce Byers (right)

There are many things you can do to keep our trails clean and safe. Employing the motto ‘Carry In, Carry Out’ is just one of them. This is a common phrase in state and national parks, but there’s no reason we cannot follow it here. All that this requires a hiker to do is make sure to remember to bring out with them everything they took in. This includes food wrappers, water bottles, and even shoes and socks. By simply taking stock of what they hike in with- and making sure all of that is packed in their bags on the way out-every hiker can make Wintergreen Gorge a cleaner, safer place to hike!

Another tip to keep our trails clean is to bring a small trash bag with you when you hike. I like to do this in case I see any trash on my own hike, that way I can take it out and recycle it or throw it away in the proper places. If you’re employing this method, make sure to only grab things you know are safe! Stay away from broken glass, needles and/or syringes, and sharp, rusted metal.

Day 2-Six Mile Creek

Saturday, Sep 18

Part of keeping Behrend clean is keeping the community around us clean as well. On the official day of National Coastal Cleanup, a group of students, alongside Dr. Sam Mason, the Behrend Sustainability Coordinator, and Chris Fox, the Assistant Director of Civic Engagement, made their way to Six Mile Creek Park. Our goal for this day was to pick up trash alongside the creek, in an effort to prevent it from making its way into Lake Erie.

By the end of the two-hour cleanup window, the total amount of trash collected weighed in at 42 pounds, contained in about 6 full bags. The majority of litter picked up consisted of plastic and glass bottles, as well as plastic food wrappers. Most of these items were found either in or alongside the creek. The strangest finds from Saturday’s cleanup were a whole car bumper and a kitchen knife.

Similarly to keeping trails clean, keeping local parks clean is also an easy task. Most parks will have multiple trash and recycling bins available for use. In the event there is not one available, using the ‘Carry In, Carry Out’ method described above is a great option. Always remember while in public places, especially natural ones like parks and trails, to make sure you are disposing of your trash properly. Trash that is not disposed of properly can harm the wildlife, or even pollute the soil and water in which this wildlife lives.

How to Get Involved in Future Events

There are many ways to get involved on campus for future events like these. Greener Behrend (info found on Behrend Sync) is a great club to join to further ecological sustainability on campus, and in the Erie community.

For a more community-service driven organization here on campus, check out Reality Check. Keep an eye out for meetings hosted by them. All of their information can be found on Behrend Sync.