The Greenkeepers got the trash out of the splash on Saturday September 17, at this year’s annual Coastal Cleanup on Dauphin Island. This is Alabama’s largest annual volunteer event with multiple cleanup locations along the coast.
“Coastal Cleanup is incredibly important because the ocean is one of the most important environments that we have and we need to do everything we can to protect it,” president of Greenkeepers, Joseph Studt said. “So much of our life depends on what goes on in the ocean and if we are letting our trach end up in the ocean then there’s no way we can really continue the lifestyle we have.”
They brought a group of 11 volunteers. Mostly freshman from the Bahamas that wanted to clean the beach. Freshman Micah Saunders said, “It was very fun although I had to put myself in very claustrophobic places.”
Studt noticed that these new Greenkeepers were eager to support in the cleanup effort. “I think its super interesting to see how much they care about making sure our beaches are clean because that means so much to them as well,” Studt said.
Greenkeepers focus on going green on campus and in the local community. “I think it’s important that we also make sure the economy of mobile is doing well because that is what people come here for,” Studt said. “People come here to go to the beach. They come her to relax, they don’t want to see trash.”
Every year Greenkeepers volunteer with Coastal Cleanup, campus cleanups, and recycle on campus. The Greenkeepers Staff Advisor, Dr. Wilson spent his Saturday volunteering with the members. Wilson reflected on the experience concluding that is was more than just picking up trash with the Greenkeepers.
“What we saw Saturday confirms a point made by Pope Francis in his environmental encyclical Laudato Si': "The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more like an immense pile of filth" (no. 21). Humanity has to do a much better job of treating the natural world for what it is, a gift from God. To disrespect it is to disrespect its Creator,” Wilson said.
For more information about Alabama Coastal Clean-up go to https://alabamacoastalcleanup.com. To learn more about SHC Greenkeepers contact joseph.p.studt@email.shc.edu. To watch the video on the event go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImNXKkc3pxo.