Clean Up, Clean up, Everybody, Everywhere!

If cast onto an island, with a few pairs of gardening gloves, grabbers, and trash bags, what would you do? Members of TMA Unplugged: The Wilderness Club found themselves with these essential tools this past Saturday for a clean-up of the Potomac River watershed on and surrounding Theodore Roosevelt Island.  After meeting at TMA for an early breakfast, students traveled with Ms. Campot, Ms. Horn, and Ms. Gang to the Roosevelt Island parking lot, just off the GW parkway.  National Park Service rangers and staff from the Potomac Conservancy provided a brief introduction and safety advice before sending the group of volunteers on their clean-up areas throughout the island.  The Wilderness crew headed to the rocky shores on the south part of the island facing the Georgetown waterfront. 

Tenth grader Marcelus Newell teams up with Ms. Campot to find trash buried beneath the island's edge.

 While along the edge, Darnell Hudson worked tirelessly to procure a cardboard box deeply embedded in the muddy marsh.  With the help of Ms. Horn and the careful placement of several logs, his mission was a success.  Check out his efforts below!

Ms. Horn and Darnell sizing up the situation.

Almost there....

Mission Accomplished!

Students also earned community service for their participation—a good chance to secure a few final hours before the end of the year.  For future events with The Wilderness Club, come join our meetings on Friday mornings and for more volunteer opportunities with Potomac Conservancy, check out http://www.potomac.org/site/volunteer/