Hope in 'Doing'

A successful litter control activity that I adminster through Mission Adopt-A-Block is the School Litter Audit where students learn first hand about litter in the environment. First, we discuss what type of litter can be found in the environment, where it originates from, what excuses people might use when they litter and other points to ponder. Then we take time to collect litter around the school yard and analyze it before discussing what can be done to prevent and reduce litter around the school yard, home and the community. The school litter audit, in a sense, introduces the 'science of litter'and at the same time empowers the children to be active agents in finding solutions to arising environmental crisis. And in today's world where a new vocabulary of terms such as ecophobia, ecoanxiety and nature deficiency disorder can be found, basic environmental action is vital. Faced with doom and gloom messages in our newspapers and television sets, how do children interpret, digest, and deal with the state of the earth? Teaching children about litter and the environment is one way to confront these terms first hand and to connect students to their immediate outdoor surroundings and empower them to be active ecological citizens. Being involved in litter awareness education has taught me a great deal about the environment and community, and through it I have come to understand how education is key for fostering environmental stewardship and how being involved in simple environmental actions like school litter audits builds character and empowers individuals/groups to be a part of building of healthy communities.