Written By Olena Riznyk
GLENCOE – Students moved through parks, sidewalks and along the railway tracks across Glencoe on Earth Day morning, picking up garbage in places people don’t always notice.
Close to 100 students took part in the clean-up, including groups from Mosa Central Public School, Ekcoe Central Public School, St. Charles Catholic School and Glencoe District High School, along with participants from Quad County Support Services.
Teachers, staff and volunteers, including Southwest Middlesex Recreation Co-ordinator Rebecca Burlock as well as volunteers representing the Glencoe District Lions Club, helped organize and support the event. “It was all mapped out,” said Mary Hamilton, president of the Lions Club. “The students covered all of Glencoe, including the arena and the parks.”
The effort ran throughout the morning, with different schools and groups working through assigned sections of town. The town was divided into quadrants so groups could move steadily without overlapping. “We divided the town into quadrants,” said organizer Mel Moniz. “Groups just moved through their areas and picked up whatever they saw.”
Most of the work wasn’t on main streets. “There isn’t a lot of garbage out on the streets,” Moniz said. “It’s mostly in park areas and places people don’t always see.”
Students worked through neighbourhoods, green spaces and public areas, focusing on spots that are easy to overlook.
For teacher Kelly Janssens, the day wasn’t really about garbage. “When we were invited, I thought it was an excellent opportunity to remind the next generation how important it is to take care of where they live,” said Janssen, who teaches Grade 7–8 at Mosa Central Public School. “Any chance we have to show young people how rewarding it is to give back, we should take it.”
Students kept their answers simple. “It’s about giving back to the community you live in,” said Leah, a Grade 8 student. Even without large amounts of garbage to collect, participants said the experience still mattered. “It was nice to do something for the town,” said Chloe, also in Grade 8. “You feel better after.”
By early afternoon, most groups had finished their routes, covering a large part of Glencoe in just a few hours before heading back to school. Although volunteers did not fill large numbers of garbage bags, the clean-up still left an impact throughout town.
Glencoe was a little cleaner by the end of the day–and a lot of people helped make that happen.
