World as Classroom: Backyard Brook Cleanup

By Brian Writt

For my experiential work, I volunteered at the West Essex YMCA's Earth Day Cleanup in Livingston, NJ.  This was the 10th annual cleanup that the YMCA held and my first time ever doing it.  Many people from around town and Livingston High School's Environmental Club met at the YMCA and went into the woods in the back of the building with gloves and garbage bags, ready to clean up the area. 

There is a brook behind the building that gets filled with trash with all the people and constant traffic that passes by daily on South Livingston Avenue and neighboring streets.

All in all, we spent about four hours scavenging through the woods picking up trash that ranged from car tires to candy wrappers.  It really is amazing how an area humans rarely ever go to can be affected by us so much.  It really made me realize how selfish it is to litter, because the trash does not disappear.  It ends up in the woods and in waterways that hinder the wildlife that inhabit the area. 

I definitely will volunteer next year at the YMCA Earth Day Cleanup and will recommend to my friends and family that they also do the same.