Springwater trail cleanup
The goal of this project is to clean up the spring water trail consistently by walking a section of it 1-2 Times a week and cleaning up any garbage along the way. This project is not affiliated with any organization and is school term project.
Duties and RESPONSIBILITIES
Since this project was individual I made it my responsibility to keep a section of the spring water trail constantly clean for the duration of the term. I did this by picking up trash along a section of the spring water trail multiple times a week to prevent any buildup of debris. Keeping the trail consistently clean was the most important aspect of this project. For example, if I chose to clean a larger section of the trail less often, trash would have more time to build up and disturb wildlife in-between the cleaning times. I chose to clean less of the trial more often, to minimize the disruption of trash to the nearby wildlife. In order to maximize my effect on the environment I chose a section of the trial to clean which runs along Johnson Creek, one of the last free flowing streams in Portlands urban area.
Unmet needs
During the global pandemic of COVID-19 all eyes are on the virus and its implication to our lives. As a result, it is easy to forget about keeping our environment clean. Like most trials the spring water trail lacks consistent cleaning even more so due to the pandemic. The trail itself is fairly clean, but my goal is to prevent any buildup of liter or trash by picking up trash consistently. The section of the trail which I am keeping clean is extra important because it goes along Johnson Creek, one of the last free flowing streams in Portlands urban area.
Plan of Action
The trail itself is fairly clean, but my goal is to prevent any buildup of liter by picking up trash consistently. This requires walking a section of the trail and picking up trash regularly. Safety is very important when handling trash which is why I am taking the necessary precautions. For example, I will be using reaching claw to pickup trash, as well as rubber gloves.
Reflection
Overall this project was very beneficial to me. It taught me how to be consistent in the things I do. It helped me practice being consistent by cleaning the trail multiple times every week. In addition, this project allowed me to become closer with nature over the course of this term. This was extra important because I, and the rest of the world have been in self isolation for the last 8 months to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. As a result, I have spent the majority of my time indoors, so it was nice to get out in nature and clean it up while I'm at it.