ATHOL — There are people who continually embrace what the Earth Day movement represents, and then there are those who carelessly toss their trash anywhere, oblivious that their actions might encourage more littering, which can negatively affect the perception of a neighborhood or a particular section of town. It also causes environmental hazards that could bring harm to rivers, wildlife and humans. Improperly extinguished cigarettes combined with dry weather conditions have started fires such as one that happened last year at the end of Sanders Street, discovered in time by a passerby.
Heidi Strickland was compelled to do something about the town’s trash situation when she saw postings on an Athol Facebook page complaining about it. She scheduled a meeting in January at the Millers River Environmental Center and several more meetings followed every other Monday where participants “brainstormed about what we could do to make a difference.”
To commemorate Earth Day, the group found a way “to make our town shine.” On Saturday, April 27, Green Clean Athol Spring Clean Up Day will be held from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers of all ages are welcome (children must be accompanied by adults) to meet at 9 o’clock at the Millers River Park near the Athol Public Library parking lot. Strickland said close to 18 people will be involved with this first time rain or shine event. “The miracle of this is everybody works as a group,” she said. There will be a celebration to follow from noon to 1 p.m. Volunteers will provide hot dogs and rolls along with baked goods, and the Athol Salvation Army will be cooking, and supplying chips, fruit and drinks served on compostable paper ware.
GCA volunteer Bonnie Benjamin said the town has also been very involved with the planning, including the library, the Department of Public Works, Town Manager Shaun Suhoski and other town offices, and the Athol transfer station. The DPW will provide red and orange cones for traffic safety and two town trucks and drivers to pick up trash and move it to the transfer station.
Benjamin and students in the Leadership Club at the Athol-Royalston Middle School created a large poster made with upcycled products to be displayed at the park Saturday.
Another GCA volunteer compiled a list of Athol streets that are in dire need of trash pick up. He also designed maps of the sites that highlight the designated clean up areas. A safety list will also be provided. Pink flags will be available to the volunteers to place at locations where needles are found for the Athol Police Department to pick up. Any tires found will be taken to Pete’s Tire Barn’s tire disposal collection taking place the same day at the former Riverbend School, 174 Riverbend St., from 9 a.m. to noon.
Strickland is unsure if this will turn into an annual event but it will be a learning experience. She would also like to see more people learn to recycle more efficiently.
GCA falls under the Athol Bird and Nature Club’s fiscal umbrella which enables the group to request funding from other organizations. For more information, email greencleanathol@gmail.com.