My DD's class participated in a waterfront clean up today. I am not sure who the organizers of this month-long event were, but it was a wonderful opportunity to expand on their ecology studies. They invited me to go with them. I was able to ride my scooter because this is the park that is very close to my house. In the morning the kids played in the playground.
They were having so much fun, that my DD just let them play. They buried each other in the sand and climbed on the play equipment. Some played soccer in the field. The grade 4 class joined them. To loud protests they finally agreed to stop playing and go and wash their hands so they could eat lunch. Some of them actually said the weren't hungry and kept playing.
I had to laugh because I was starving. Their lunches, by the way, were all in reusable containers, what they call 'litterless lunches' (no garbage to throw out to add to our landfill).. My lunch was a litterless one too. They have me trained.
When lunch was over, my DD handed out plastic garbage bags, gloves and some tongs she had bought at the dollar store for picking up small objects. The kids started collecting stuff right away. They were so eager. We walked over to a path that led down to the water. The creek is very low this year. We have not hat much rain.
From the top of the bluffs where I sat on my scooter, I could not see much garbage, but I was surprised when they returned to the top of the hill with their bags, bulging with everything from cigarette butts to coffee cups, cans and even a fire extinguisher.
They went on to collect more garbage at another site along the creek, but I didn't stay any longer. I was getting sore from sitting on my scooter the whole time. (The park benches all had 'caution, wet paint' signs on them and I was not able to walk on the uneven ground. And I was tired. My DD phoned me tonight and told me that it had been a very productive day. Her class is becoming more and more ecologically aware. They have become ambassadors and spokes persons for saving our environment.
And it certainly is worth saving. I will leave you with a shot of some phlox, blooming by the side of the path. It was a breathtaking sight. And speaking of breathtaking, the air was delicately perfumed with the scent of these lovely flowers.
They were having so much fun, that my DD just let them play. They buried each other in the sand and climbed on the play equipment. Some played soccer in the field. The grade 4 class joined them. To loud protests they finally agreed to stop playing and go and wash their hands so they could eat lunch. Some of them actually said the weren't hungry and kept playing.
I had to laugh because I was starving. Their lunches, by the way, were all in reusable containers, what they call 'litterless lunches' (no garbage to throw out to add to our landfill).. My lunch was a litterless one too. They have me trained.
When lunch was over, my DD handed out plastic garbage bags, gloves and some tongs she had bought at the dollar store for picking up small objects. The kids started collecting stuff right away. They were so eager. We walked over to a path that led down to the water. The creek is very low this year. We have not hat much rain.
From the top of the bluffs where I sat on my scooter, I could not see much garbage, but I was surprised when they returned to the top of the hill with their bags, bulging with everything from cigarette butts to coffee cups, cans and even a fire extinguisher.
My DD is the one on the left in the gray t-shirt.
They went on to collect more garbage at another site along the creek, but I didn't stay any longer. I was getting sore from sitting on my scooter the whole time. (The park benches all had 'caution, wet paint' signs on them and I was not able to walk on the uneven ground. And I was tired. My DD phoned me tonight and told me that it had been a very productive day. Her class is becoming more and more ecologically aware. They have become ambassadors and spokes persons for saving our environment.
And it certainly is worth saving. I will leave you with a shot of some phlox, blooming by the side of the path. It was a breathtaking sight. And speaking of breathtaking, the air was delicately perfumed with the scent of these lovely flowers.
