arnold009
Registered: February 2007
Posts: 1
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Richardson’s Pond is a small and charming pond near the center of Millis, MA, a small town about 20 miles southwest of Boston. The pond is surrounded by wetlands and a small park which is frequently used by all of the inhabitants of Millis. They usually get along fine with the wildlife including our state bird the black-capped chickadee, American goldfinches, great blue herons, Canada geese, and various species of frogs and fish. The plant life, which is essential to the survival of these creatures includes many oak and pine trees as well as flowers such as lilies, purple loosestrife, goldenrod, and baby’s breath. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of the Millis Department of Public Works and Beautification Day every spring, the pond needed some serious litter removal.
While we were cleaning up Richardson’s Pond, we encountered many different types of litter. The most prominent were beer cans, plastic and glass bottles, both paper and plastic bags, and cigarette butts. The total of these things along with other minor pieces of litter totaled around 35 pounds, a hefty amount for the minute size of the park. Frankly, we were very disgusted by the unsanitary state in which the town and its inhabitants had left the pond, but finally seeing the pond clean was a definite accomplishment. Cleaning the pond was a wonderful way to help out the town and especially the local environment, while the task remained relatively easy to organize.
Taking care of our environment is essential to the lives of the wildlife and the plants that we need to survive. Any artificial additives left in an ecosystem as fragile as a pond can seriously disrupt the food webs and food chains. These webs and chains are essential to all life in the ecosystem including we humans.
After cleaning the park we have discovered a few important things for keeping the pond clean. One of these things is installing various trash receptacles all around the pond and the park to make littering be a less appealing option. Another is that a thorough job of cleaning has to be done regularly, and these with a sufficient number of helpers to make it easily feasible. Above all, the park-goers have the obligation to understand and act according to principles which will keep our environment healthy and clean.
The Apprentice Ecologist Initiative is a great way to help keep our parks clean and to teach the upcoming generations about the environment and the vital role it plays in our life. This opportunity allows for young adults that wouldn’t normally have the chance to volunteer for such a noble cause. Through the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative, Richardson’s Pond and its surrounding park are now clean; but more importantly a conscious effort must be made to keep the environment healthy.
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