Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

This is Lake Washburn in Hartford, Kentucky. This breathtaking place is home to lots of wildlife, and unfortunately lots of trash. Careless fisherman, picnickers, and passing traffic have taken the spot for granted and trashed it.

My name is Kesia and I decided to stand up for neglected wildlife and clean up Lake Washburn. I joined forces with Olivia Gray to take before and after photos of the cleanup process.

We first found trash along the boat ramp and lake edge. There was a variety of plastics, paper, cigarette butts, and bottles. Olivia found a tattered pair of jogging pants. I was extremely embarrassed of the condition of the lake and could not understand why people would do this.

We see many ducks on the lake as we are cleaning. I live close by and have gotten used to seeing them here year round. The lake is also full of bass, bluegill, and channel catfish . As the day came to an end, we had spent six hours picking up garbage. We collected four bags of trash and a bag of bottles that we recycled. It actually seemed as though it had not been a long time victim of careless littering. I could only imagine how the animals must feel without the familiar surroundings.

I have to say the day was exhausting and fun. It felt good to know I did a positive thing and made a small difference.