On October 5th, I participated in the Athens Rivers Alive clean-up. I specifically volunteered at the MLK Greenway site with about twenty other volunteers, some of which were also from our biology class. The site was very close to a river, so I could hear and see the water. I saw lots of trash, especially broken pieces of glass, and my main role was to pick up as much of that trash as I could. Thankfully, the volunteer crew provided us with gloves, so I could safely pick up the glass pieces. One of the main coordinators of the event spoke to us about the history of the location and explained why there was so much trash embedded into the ground. Apparently, back in the day, people would put the trash into the ground of sloped areas in an attempt to prevent erosion. Overall, although the event was tiring, I enjoyed it.
It disappointed me that there was so much trash, even though Athens Rivers Alive does the clean-up every year. In my mind, I was expecting a lot of paper and rubber products, so it was surprising to me when there were so many broken glass products. However, it was interesting to dig up random items from the ground. For example, within about ten minutes of cleaning, I found a spoon and a pair of shoes.
The experience opened my eyes to the problem of pollution in Athens. Prior to the experience, I did not know that there was much much waste and trash in the city. However, now that I know, I am open to doing what I can and even participating in the event next year as well. In addition to that, I acquired more communication and collaboration skills, as it was a joint effort to clean-up the site.
As a result of this experience, I will make a more conscious effort to keep Athens clean. I learned that there is so much trash, even under the ground, and that it is a significant issue. Knowing more about this trash problem, I will be sure to volunteer at more events that involve cleaning our home.
