During the Bluegrass Global Growers Market, sometime in
September, some of the gals from the Americana Afterschool Program wanted me to
buy them some plums. I said no. But then
I looked around the grassy fields on campus and saw all the liter, liter
everywhere. Liter everywhere though I’d just picked up all the trash on campus
that morning. EUREKA! I told the gals I’d buy them the plums if they picked up
every bit of trash on campus. The ran to the opportunity and were running and
yelling while picking up trash, having a lot of fun while doing it. They
returned to trash cans with heaps of litter again and again, until they began
to tire. They said, “this is TOO much trash!” They didn’t realize what they’d
gotten themselves into. They demanded that they get paid more than plums for
their work, but I told them we’d already made the agreement. So they ventured
on and picked up every last bit of trash from the entrance to our parking lot
to the far corners of the soccer field. Finally, they were rewarded handsomely
with a mighty bushel of plums.
They complained to me, “people litter too much.” I agreed
and responded, “when you see folks litter, you should ask them not to.” An idea
was born! It was mostly Raildy’s idea. (She is photographed). The gals would
form a litter patrol and meet each afternoon after they finished their homework
to pick up litter around campus and patrol the grounds watching for litterers.
It
was an idea all their own and a good reminder of kid’s ingenuity and
drive.
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