In celebration of Earth Day, about 200 community members took to Evanston’s streets to pick up trash. Participants received trash bags, safety vests, trash grabbers and gloves, and formed groups responsible for picking up litter in small sections of downtown Evanston.
Downtown Evanston, The Woman’s Club of Evanston and BrightView Landscapes co-sponsored the event.
“I was a Girl Scout, so I used to do a big Earth Day community garden back home,” McCormick sophomore Jocelyn Luevanos said. “I’m from California, so we would always be outside for Earth Day. This was a way for me to be involved here.”
Luevanos participated in the Earth Day event with a few members of her multicultural sorority, Kappa Delta Chi. She said the group enjoys connecting with the community and thought helping to clean up the city was a good way to give back.
Luevanos’ group was tasked with picking up trash near Church Street. For around two hours, they walked up and down the streets to clean up Evanston alongside volunteers.
Andy Vick, the executive director of Downtown Evanston, said he planned the event with the immediate goal of making Evanston cleaner. But in the long run, he said, he hopes a greater sense of collective action will make Evanston a better city.
“The goal is also to build a sense of community and a sense of ownership and a responsibility for keeping our environment clean,” Vick said. “That’s the whole point of Earth Day.”
Vick also noted that community members may wind up exploring new parts of the city while picking up trash. He said he hopes participants stumble upon new stores and restaurants that they later choose to visit.
While Vick signed community members in, Ellen Burton, a member of The Woman’s Club, handed out safety vests and formed groups to pick up trash together.
Burton said she was impressed with the event’s turnout and enjoyed how it brought the community together. She said in a world that feels increasingly lonely, participating in community events is one of the best ways to stay engaged.
“I think this makes people, especially with the little kids, feel a sense of responsibility for their community,” Burton said. “It’s knitting the community.”
Burton also said the event was a great way for parents to teach their children about keeping the planet clean and doing their part to ensure a better future.
The message a group clean-up promotes is beneficial to society, Burton said. She hopes participants took something away from the event — whether it be a piece of trash or a new memory.
“It’s not somebody else’s responsibility to pick up a piece of trash when you’re walking to Target. It’s not somebody else’s responsibility if you throw your stuff into the bin and you miss,” Burton said.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Fossil Free NU hosts Earth Day Panel
— “Precarious Eating” lecture discusses intersection of consumption and environmentalism
— League of Women Voters’ ‘Combating Climate Change 101’ event mobilizes residents for climate action
