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NWP Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists - Bolin Creek, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA

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Bolin Creek, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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leafitiger



Registered: December 2013
City/Town/Province: Chapel Hill
Posts: 1
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I personally really enjoyed this experience! I not only had the opportunity to connect with a local habitat, but I also had the opportunity to meet new people in my community. Throughout my childhood and into my early teenage years, I was a Girl Scout. Seeing the Boy Scout troop excitedly exploring Bolin Creek brought back some special memories. I really enjoyed working with the boys, though at times I worried for their safety. They were rambunctious and liked to climb down into some not-so-safe places. Besides that, I had a fun and special time with my friends.
Initially, I expected this experience to be boring, tedious, and dirty. Only one of those ended up being true. Though you will get dirty if you participate in the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative, you will not have a boring time. I would recommend bringing a friend or two; not just for fun’s sake, but because you will be needing help. My friends and I often found ourselves working together. This was a really good tactic for reaching trash that was down in the river or high up on a hill.
Every small effort made to preserve the environment goes a long way. For us to clean up Bolin Creek, a small watershed in Chapel Hill, will not only affect the bodies of water around it, but also NC as a whole. Imagine a world in which small efforts were not made. It all adds up, right? The world is compromised of both microscopic ecosystems and ones that which span across regions. No ecosystem is more important than another, so it is important that even not-so-large efforts be made. Also, we found many recyclables along the creek. Recycling is important, especially during this day and age. What we recycle today can be reused tomorrow, thus making our society more sustainable.
The most memorable event that occurred during our community work was definitely when we stumbled upon a homeless person’s “house.” We were underneath a bridge, searching for trash, when my friends and I decided to climb up the slope underneath the bridge. At the top of the slope, we found at least 200 cigarettes, books, blankets, and bottles. (The sight was more remarkable than it sounds.) We cleaned the entire area up, adding a great amount of weight to our trash bags. After 7 hours of work, in total, we collected around 1400 pounds of trash. This was really surprising to me, and also left me with a very good feeling in my heart.
The work we did was beneficial to ecosystems both local and far. It was apparent that no efforts had been made recently to clean up Bolin Creek. We could not go 10 feet without spotting garbage. During the hours that we worked, it is safe to say that we we made a huge impact. With all of our efforts put together, we collected nearly 2000 pounds of trash! This is remarkable , to say the least. Garbage can effect water quality, biodiversity, and the food chain as a whole. Water Quality is important to keep in check, because it effects both the animals within a habitat and even our own drinking water. Garbage can also have an effect on the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Animals have been known to mistake trash for food. As a result, they eat it, and die from complications. By removing trash from an environment, or making an effort to do so, we can lower the risk of such an occurrence happening. It also benefits the food chain to remove trash from an environment. Any successful ecosystem has many animals, a good amount of all of its species. If a food chain is lacking in numbers, it can oh-so-easily fall apart. So, all in all, our efforts really did go a long way. Bolin Creek and all of its inhabitants will be a lot happier.
Date: August 9, 2014 Views: 5107 File size: 18.1kb, 118.2kb : 960 x 720
Hours Volunteered: 35
Volunteers: 7
Authors Age & Age Range of Volunteers: 17 & 16 to 25
Area Restored for Native Wildlife (hectares): 3
Trash Removed/Recycled from Environment (kg): 820.35
Native Trees Planted: 3
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vijithvs06

Registered: August 2014
City/Town/Province: Trivandrum
Posts: 1
August 14, 2014 3:30am

Good Work..Keep going Thumbs Up!