(Image
courtesy of Google Image Search)
My six year old has been on a mission
lately to save the planet.
For Earth Day this past year, her
school took a massive field trip to help clean up a local beach. Many
different schools were included, tons of kids and teachers were
there, as well as parents and other family members, all volunteering
together for the sake of Doheny State Beach. The local news channel
even covered it.
It was actually really inspiring, to
see how a relatively small group of people can make a difference!
So Little Miss Saves the Planet has
been pleasantly pestering me ever since this field trip to help her
clean up all the pollution she's learned about. One afternoon after
lunch, I discovered her roaming the border of our property with a
grocery bag in one hand, a paper towel in the other (you know, in
case there were yucky things to pick up). I did refrain from rolling
my eyes at the endearing effort, and instead decided to help her with
her dream! (I know, make a Hallmark movie, right?)
On a sunny Summer Saturday, my two kids
and I decided to clean up our local beach, just the three of us
(their step-dad was in charge of recording the event for posterity
purposes). After breakfast, we all sat down to brainstorm. Imagine
trying to explain the concept of "brainstorming" to a very
literal 4 year old! We compiled a short list of items, which we
already had in the home, that could be used to clean up the beach and
keep ourselves safe, as those were our 2 main goals (the latter being
added by me!).
The list ended up looking something
like this: plastic bags to put trash in, gloves to protect our hands,
salad tongs and towels to pick up icky stuff, handkerchiefs for the
stinky times, clothespins and rubber-bands to help close the bags,
and a big bottle of hand sanitizer.
Not a very complicated assortment of
things to gather, but the excitement level in gathering so few,
mundane items was off the charts! We waited until after lunch to
start our campaign.
I made sure my little ones were dressed
in something that could get a little dirty without a problem (dark
T-shirts, old sweatpants, sturdy shoes or sandals); hair was put up
out of the way, and we were set. Our family lives less than a mile
from the beach, so the entire preparation process, including loading
our tools and the kids into the car, took all of ten minutes.
Once we reached our usual beach-going
spot, of course there were rules for safety sake: Always wear your
gloves. Don't touch anything with your bare hands. If you don't know
what it is, ask Mommie to pick it up instead. If it's a dead animal,
leave it be. If the smell bothers you, wrap a handkerchief around
your face. Always put all the trash you find in your bag, and then
your bag in a garbage bin. Use some sanitizer if you accidentally
touch something. And ALWAYS wash your hands as soon as possible when
you're done.
All in all, it was one of the least
complicated, most environmentally helpful things the three of us have
ever done! Most of what we found consisted of bottles and cans,
paper, food wrappers, discarded plastic. There were some tattered
articles of clothing, which I used our handy salad tongs to extract
from the wet sand. Sometimes, depending on where you live and the
demographics of the area, you may find more personal and intimate
articles (AHEM!) in the sand; which, of course, only adults should
handle (with caution) and dispose of. Clothespins and rubber-bands
were used to secure our bags of trash when they were full.
We were surprised and a little saddened
to find so much disposed of on our local beach. In total, we gathered
about 15 bags of trash in an hour and a half. After properly placing
all trash in a beach receptacle, we placed our remaining tools in a
bag to bring home and clean. My kids were doused with hand sanitizer
before getting back into the car, and then thoroughly scrubbed with
soap and warm water once we were back at home.
My oldest child was satisfied with her
effort, and my youngest thrilled to be involved. It made them feel
useful, especially when they could look back over a trash-free beach
and see how they made a difference. I felt good for helping keep the
beach clean and healthy (for a day), and for helping my kids see the
importance of our place and our responsibility in the grand scheme of
things.
Can you see yourself and your children
accomplishing the same?
This activity isn't reserved for those
who live close to the coast. Think of all the possibilities! Do you
live near a lake or a river? What about the local school, park or
playground? Even the street where you live is open for cleaning every
chance you get! Check your local newspaper to see what other members
of your community are doing to help the planet.
For those of you who would rather not
use or dispose of rubber kitchen gloves, try a pair of sturdy
gardening gloves (this was the avenue I chose). Soak and wash them in
hot water when you're done. Use old, ratty towels that you don't mind
either disposing of, or washing in hot water. If you'd rather not use
plastic bags to put trash in (yes, I know the 1,000 year
decomposition rate), try paper bags instead. All you need is
something to hold the trash you collect, before you have the chance
to put it in a bin. The choice is yours, depending on your
environmental beliefs.
This simple, fun, environmentally responsible activity helped my kids
feel so good about themselves, and about their ability to help our
planet, one little step at a time.
Do you have any ideas for easy ways
kids can do their part? Have any input on what could have been done
in a better way? I'd love to hear them! Please leave a comment on my
blog or send me a message!
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