For my action project so far, I went to Rocky Point Park to pick up litter. This time, I went with my two friends, Sydney and Chenoa, because all of our schedules weren’t as busy as last time. I went out on Wednesday evening, and the weather was hot and sunny. We ended up staying out for a couple of hours because it was so nice and warm outside. Additionally, it doesn’t usually get dark until around 9 PM, so we were also able to buy ice cream from the Rocky Point Ice Cream Shop and play on the playground. I chose to do my project at this park because I haven’t been there in a long time.
One success I had was making the time to go out and complete my action project with others since the last time I went out by myself. This felt like a real accomplishment because this time I had friends to join me, which made the experience more impactful because we were able to cover more ground in less time. Another success was remembering to find the garbage picker from my garage, which made picking up litter much more efficient. Lastly, the weather was nice that evening, which made the outing even more enjoyable and allowed us to stay out longer.
One challenge I faced was feeling sick throughout the week, which made me feel really tired while working on my action project. I overcame this by making sure to get plenty of rest the night before and by taking medication to help ease the symptoms. One of the challenges I faced during my action project was the large number of people out that evening, which made it difficult to find a parking spot. At first, this felt frustrating, but I decided to shift my perspective and see it in a more positive light. With more people around, there was a greater chance they would notice us picking up litter and feel inspired to join us or better understand the importance of disposing of their trash properly. This challenge was also mentioned in the article 7 Simple Steps to Organize a Successful Park Clean-Up in 2024, which highlights the positive side of having an audience while doing community work (1).
For the next part of my project, I plan to share my experiences with my family and friends to raise awareness about the importance of keeping our community clean. I hope to inspire them to start their own park clean-up projects. I also plan to organize a beach clean-up this summer with around 10 volunteers to continue making a positive impact and encourage more people to get more involved in environmental issues.
References:
(1): mmne. (2024). 7 simple steps to organize a successful park clean-up. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-simple-steps-organize-successful-park-7mmne
