Senior Capstone Group to Host Campus-Wide Cleanup

(greenreportcard.org)

By Chris Bernstein

Senior communications capstone group, REALIZE Your Environmental Impact will be hosting a campus-wide cleanup at Ramapo College of New Jersey on Saturday, April 14. The clean up, which will be co-hosted by MEVO (Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization) is part of a bigger initiative by the capstone group to raise awareness of the sustainable initiatives going on around campus and to educate both students and faculty on how to live a less wasteful life.

All volunteers interested in attending should meet at the arch at Ramapo College at 9:50 am. Gloves, rakes and cleaning supplies will be provided. For questions and information, please email cbernst1@ramapo.edu.

The event will seek to clean up several high-traffic areas around Ramapo’s campus and hopes to get rid of much of the waste that is littering several wooded areas that surround the school. Ramapo’s campus is known for its beautiful location in Northern New Jersey in the foothills of the gorgeous Ramapo Mountains.

Members of the capstone group understand that events such as this cleanup are crucial to keeping the campus clean and beautiful. Group member Kristie Murru says, “We love our campus and take pride in it being different from other colleges in the state. We hate seeing trash littered around pathways and buildings, so this cleanup is a push to take care of that.”

Cleaning up the campus isn’t the only goal of the event. The presence of MEVO is a significant one, as they have been a key leader in the efforts to cleanup waste in several areas across Northern New Jersey. In addition to hosting cleanups, which have generated hundreds of volunteers, the non-profit organization’s core focus is to create and maintain a fresh roots farm in Mahwah, New Jersey. This farm is an organic farm operation for locally grown vegetables, fruits and bees that produce honey. The farm continuously gives back to the community by connecting community members and families with sustainably grown food.

The campus cleanup will take place from 10 am – 2 pm and will cover several key trash areas such as the Village Apartments, wooded areas along pathways leading to Laurel Courts, pathways located near the Student Center parking lot and basketball court, wooded areas along the path around the lake and areas near the College Park Apartments. Everyone and anyone is welcome to volunteer.

Volunteers will receive a unique opportunity to help in cleaning up the college’s campus as well as learn how to properly dispose of trash they produce. In addition, the cleanup will provide an example of how anyone can lead a cleanup in their own communities and help in creating a cleaner environment for everyone to enjoy.