October+28,+86IT+Big+Sweep+Wetland

October 28, 86IT Big Sweep Wetland

On October 28, I went to the Wake County Big Sweep near Walnut Creek Wetland Center. There were about 25 Volunteers that came to help. There were 3 groups assigned to a different part of the creek. We were told to collect trashes such as plastic, glass, anything that can be recycled. We were told to put glass shards into a bucket. Both buckets were full. There were so many glass shards we ran out of space for it. We found a reclining couch at our part of the creek to clean. The group leader told us that during the fall, volunteers clean up the same area. The fact that there could be so much trashes when it was recently cleaned appalled me. How could people be so reckless with plethora of glass shards onto to the creek. The creek was beside a neighborhood. We we met up at the end to pile up all of our trashes, other volunteers found 4 tires and parts of a car. Another volunteer told us they found a mattress. The amount of unneeded trash at the creek is uncalled for. At the end we cleaned as much trashes we could carry. My back was as weak as an 80 year old man, but i was able to pick up waste to help out. Every little bit of help can save the environment.

This relates to APES because the stream is a habitat for certain organism and humans are polluting it. At some parts of the creek, there were baby fishes. Knowing that the fishes may not thrive in this creek and dying soon awful. Humans are polluting the habitats with numerous amount of trashes. At the creek, a section was polluted with what looks like oil. Organisms cannot live in this small ecosystem anymore. Some of these trash will take thousand and maybe even millions of year to degrade. We can protect the environment through more heavy punishment by law for littering.