griner01
Registered: August 2007
Posts: 1
View this Member's Photo Gallery
|
Having had a great fascination with animals all my life, it was a no brain-er when I chose to pursue a wildlife major at the University of Georgia. A great influence in my decision was having both parents come from agricultural backgrounds; I attribute my outdoorsmen personality to them and thank them for all of the knowledge they gave me in everyday lessons growing up. These lessons even made one of my classes, Conservation and Natural Resources, much easier; after all, Mama works for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. But before I reached college, my background helped me to become involved with the ‘Keep Bartow Beautiful’ organization. For several years, I actively participated in events sponsored by the organization, including the Christmas tree recycling campaign, “Bring One for the Chipper.” I also taught several classes using the ‘Environ’ model to demonstrate to elementary and middle school children how pollution can come from many different sources and how it can be prevented.
One activity that I have continued to participate in since entering college is the “Rivers Alive!” clean up. This event encourages local youth organizations to help in cleaning up trash around rivers and streams in our county. This spring, I came back from Athens to help in this year’s “Rivers Alive!” clean up. I went with a group of middle-schoolers to help pick the trash that had literally been dumped by one of our local rivers; in one spot, years of trash had collected and piled up. While we cleaned up this area, I emphasized the importance of environmental stewardship to the middle-schoolers and imparted to them some of the wisdom given to me by my parents concerning our natural resources and conservation.
This event was especially important to me because I have such a love for the outdoors. I am glad to take every opportunity to educate the younger generation on these important issues because they are often too involved with the technological gadgets of today to see what is happening to the natural beauty around them. Through the “Keep Bartow Beautiful’ organization, the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry, and other organizations, I will continue to make a difference for the environment by making a difference in the lives of those who will decide its fate in the years to come. My brother and I picked up the large debris that was strewn everywhere at our clean up site. The younger volunteers have to climb through the trash that had collected in the area over several years. Trash literally covered the ground in some parts along the river where we were cleaning. At the end of the day, we had collected over thirty bags of trash, and more garbage that wouldn’t fit into the truck we brought along!
|
