Litter Lifters

Hello fellow anthropologists !!!

As an Young Ambassador for Chester County I have started engaging in sustainable practices that involve beautifying Pennsylvania and educating people of all ages on the importance of caring for the environment. 

This past weekend I had the great opportunity to participate in a cleanup event within West Vincent (my home township).  The Litter Lifters of West Vincent have been working on cleanup events to remove litter waste from Pennsylvania roads. The program originally started out with few members, but this weekend more than 30 people showed up to participate. 

Volunteering this past weekend was an eye opening experience because I have lived in the same place for nearly seventeen years. It was not until now that I realized how much trash there really is on the grass next to the roads. The pieces of trash that the Litter Lifters and I found were invisible to the eyes of a driver, but were very much so visible to the eyes of a person walking along the road. It made me realize how people so carelessly litter trash via the windows of their cars. I am so proud to have taken part in an event that works on cleaning up such waste to ensure that the pieces of trash don't end up in our waterways, in contact with animals, and in our natural world in general. 

The objects of waste that we found ranged from beer cans, water bottles, gloves, plastics of all types, and so much more. I believe that as a community we can truly work together to reduce the amount of waste littered. We can do this by educating students, the future generation, and adults on the impact of their actions. As Beth Intoccia, the leading force behind the Litter Lifters says "somehow along the way, we've lost an education component of teaching people that you should never litter". Education is one of the strongest powers a person can use to change the world, and I think that is what communities can use to advocate for positive perspective changes. From my experience being multiracial and having  a culturaly diverse upbringing, I believe that the surrounding culture and morals of an individual truly influence the way that he or she acts towards his or her environment. I think we can truly shape the perspective of our future leaders to care for our one and only planet. 

While I was at the event, I had the pleasure of working with my fellow Chester County Ambassador, Henri Brunel. The two of us and along with other Litter Lifters were featured in a 6abc news segment that covered the story and practices of the Litter Lifters. I hope to participate in future cleanup events and continue to try and make a positive impact on the environment and to teach people about their impacts. 

Link to the news article: https://6abc.com/litter-lifters-of-west-vincent-pennsylvania-trash-cleanup/12447178/

Link to Keep PA Beautiful article: https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/meet-the-litter-lifters-a-team-keeping-streets-clean-in-chester-county/