Calabaza Creek Clean-up

On Sunday, May 20. I went to the Calabaza Creek in Cupertino. Then, for three hours, other volunteers and I cleaned up the creek. We used gloves and trash picker-uppers to pick up plastic and other pieces of trash at the river. We means groups because we had to work in pairs. Because there was not very much water, we were able to walk around the rocks and dirt to look for trash. The most common trash were cigarette butts. wrappers, and small pieces of paper or plastic. At the beginning, it was easier to find trash. After that, it took some time to look for each piece of plastic in the dirt and brush. We had to dig around and use good observational skills to find small pieces of plastic. These are the parts that fish can eat and get sick from. That is why it is important to find and pick up these as well as large boxes or bags. From this experience, I gained more knowledge about what trash is our rivers and how much of it there is. I learned how fish can get affected by eating plastic that we leave behind. I helped the community of Cupertino and other communities like it, and that is a good feeling to have. I gained experience on how to use my time. Since we had three hours, I had to plan out how to use my time and when to take breaks. I took away with me a sense that I had done something important and worthwhile. These kind of events can also raise awareness about the wasteful actions that people do all the time, such as littering, which can cause trash to get into rivers. I could do this again if I had the chance to. There is another clean-up in September, so it is possible that I could. One thing that I know now is that we take advantage of the nature around us. We need to protect it in order to continue to live and survive on this planet.