In an effort to keep her fellow collegians engaged in important issues about the environment, CFACT Fellow Grace Cancelmo used the recent long weekend to organize a trash cleanup at Rock Island State Park!
Over the weekend, the group of volunteers made two forays to the park to collect litter. “Many students commented that getting out in nature was just what they needed after being cooped up inside due to social distancing guidelines.” Cancelmo remarked, adding that “Everyone was thankful to have an opportunity to leave campus and help the environment.” According to Cancelmo, the group enjoyed the clean-up, and became extra vigilant while hiking. “Some people even complained that those in the front of the group were spotting everything and there was nothing left for them to collect!”
Grace plans to use future opportunities to do even more at Rock Island State Park. She said the litter clean-up is “a fun way to bond…and do our part to keep the outdoors as litter-free as possible.” She also remarked that the park has many other natural beauties, such as their numerous falls and 34,000-kilowatt hydroelectric dam. She said “the falls are not only a beautiful site but also a reminder of our land’s capacity to generate renewable energy.”
Overall, the event was a massive success. We can’t wait to see what Grace has in store for us next!
