Well you know it feels like a while since we've been on a good, wholesome outing of trash picking. But with the energy and determination of a new year, with fond memories of last January's Sproul Plaza cleanup, and with the National Day of Service yesterday, we figured what better time to get back to the streets. And in this case, the streets in front of UC Berkeley, where classes start again in a few days, and where you can find some of the grossest trash specimens around.
We put out an announcement on the presidential inauguration/Day of Service website, and were super happy to be joined by an enthusiastic group of faces old and new: Youki, Chika, Mark, Margaret, Pauline and Dave were the crowd. Unfortunately, t-ray was still pulling espresso shots for Japantown's ravenous coffee crowd, but he's sure to be there for the next one...
We cleaned up both sides of Bancroft from Telegraph Ave., though really, we could have spent the whole afternoon around these benches in front of Sproul Plaza--there must have been 50 plastic bottle caps on the ground!
And then as we made our way up Bancroft, past Bowditch, the YWCA, the art museum, past Strada, you know what stuck out most? Sure, there were the usual culprits: #5 non-recyclable coffee cup lids, empty pizza boxes and other random pieces of cardboard, plastic spoons and forks from the local eating establishments. But...
But yeah, how about this Reddit discussion thread with over 6,000 comments??? *
Yeah, but. But. Butt. Butts. BUTTS!!!
Seriously, they were everywhere. As if it's not littering to throw your cigarette butt on the ground after smoking. Do that many people really smoke in Berkeley? Pauline counted 20 she picked in just a minute or two before the butts got the best of her. And that wasn't even outside of Henry's or any of the other drinking spots. Clearly a topic for more debate. And potentially even a Kickstarter campaign.
As we walked back from the International House and picked up Durant Ave., swung back up Telegraph to Sproul Plaza again, and now, looking forward to 2013, I was excited talking to Margaret about possibilities to work with local youth on trash-picking and awareness-building, to team up with cool ideas for documenting experiences and outcomes so that the sense of community and personal satisfaction grow grow grow (like, for instance, doing a podcast about trash!)
Well, that's it for this little report from the streets of Berkeley. Back atcha again soon! I'll sign out with a few questions...
* thanks PL for the Reddit introduction!
We put out an announcement on the presidential inauguration/Day of Service website, and were super happy to be joined by an enthusiastic group of faces old and new: Youki, Chika, Mark, Margaret, Pauline and Dave were the crowd. Unfortunately, t-ray was still pulling espresso shots for Japantown's ravenous coffee crowd, but he's sure to be there for the next one...
We cleaned up both sides of Bancroft from Telegraph Ave., though really, we could have spent the whole afternoon around these benches in front of Sproul Plaza--there must have been 50 plastic bottle caps on the ground!
And then as we made our way up Bancroft, past Bowditch, the YWCA, the art museum, past Strada, you know what stuck out most? Sure, there were the usual culprits: #5 non-recyclable coffee cup lids, empty pizza boxes and other random pieces of cardboard, plastic spoons and forks from the local eating establishments. But...
But yeah, how about this Reddit discussion thread with over 6,000 comments??? *
Yeah, but. But. Butt. Butts. BUTTS!!!
Seriously, they were everywhere. As if it's not littering to throw your cigarette butt on the ground after smoking. Do that many people really smoke in Berkeley? Pauline counted 20 she picked in just a minute or two before the butts got the best of her. And that wasn't even outside of Henry's or any of the other drinking spots. Clearly a topic for more debate. And potentially even a Kickstarter campaign.
As we walked back from the International House and picked up Durant Ave., swung back up Telegraph to Sproul Plaza again, and now, looking forward to 2013, I was excited talking to Margaret about possibilities to work with local youth on trash-picking and awareness-building, to team up with cool ideas for documenting experiences and outcomes so that the sense of community and personal satisfaction grow grow grow (like, for instance, doing a podcast about trash!)
Well, that's it for this little report from the streets of Berkeley. Back atcha again soon! I'll sign out with a few questions...
- If you were on this pick, what were your most memorable experiences?
- Where should we go & how can we spread the love next time?
* thanks PL for the Reddit introduction!
Well done people it looks great...A really good comprehensive butt campaign is definitely a hot topic that the earth as a whole can benefit from. Butts need to be looked into and put in their proper place!
ReplyDeleteWell done people it looks great...A really good comprehensive butt campaign is definitely a hot topic that the earth as a whole can benefit from. Butts need to be looked into and put in their proper place!
ReplyDelete