Just about every city, town, and village has a park in the US and we all enjoy them. While some parks are mostly enjoyed in the spring or summer, there are places where parks are open and enjoyed all year long. One of the problems with public parks is not the parks themselves but the people who visit. Some people bring picnics with them, or reading materials, some people even throw parties in the parks to celebrate birthdays and other special occasions. While there is nothing wrong with using the parks for these things, leaving trash behind is a problem. One way to do a good deed for the entire community you live in is to pick up trash in a local park.
When we pick up trash in a local park we do good deeds not only for ourselves but for the entire community that enjoys the park.
Pick up Trash in a Local Park | Plan it Ahead
There are many ways for communities to get together and for members of those communities to make new friends. One of the best ways is to organize a group clean-up session and invite everyone in the community. Simply pick a day and a time and send out emails or even make a post on Facebook to let others know what’s going on. When you set everything up, there will surely be people who want to make a difference as well. This is a great way to get like-minded members of the community together, make new friends, and get your local parks cleaned up.
Pick up Trash in a Local Park | Things you’ll Need
Don’t forget the tools you need when you go to clean up the parks. It’s important that you stay organized so that the park clean up can go smoothly. First, you’ll need plastic bags, some for trash and some for recyclables. You will also want to make sure you have gloves so that you don’t hurt yourself. If you want another level of protection you can use pick-up sticks that can grab the trash so you don’t need to touch it yourself. You may also want to have a map of the park so that you can assign different sections to different groups. If there are a large number of people you’ll also want to bring water and snacks to keep people fueled as they clean the park. Just remember to put all the trash you make in the proper places.
Pick up Trash in a Local Park | Lessons Learned
Another benefit of having the community get involved in the park cleanup comes in the form of lessons learned. As you clean up the park people will take note of what they find the most. This will help people learn that even the little things they thought didn’t matter add up and may help prevent more trash from being spread around the park. When people see the consequences of littering first-hand, they learn how to prevent it from happening again. Even if the people who volunteered didn’t make the trash, they could say something when they see someone else litter. After cleaning up the park, many of the volunteers, including yourself, will have a sense of ownership over that park and will want to take better care of it as often as possible.
