The Bay Campus Cleaners
By Nicolas Baiz, ' 24
Embedded Files
On September 18th, 2021, MAST@FIU hosted its very own bay cleanup. Many students had to wake up bright and early to help clean up the bay area of the FIU campus. It was a beautiful day with skies as blue as the bay itself. MAST@FIU was not the only school to attend the cleanup; many other schools attended and helped clear the trash of their neighboring school MAST@FIU.
It was a very successful cleanup; by the 2nd hour, MAST@FIU students alone filled up about six trash bags. Surprisingly, there was a lot more trash around and in the mangroves than initially suspected. Everywhere you looked, there was a bottle cap or single-use plastic water bottle scattered around the bay, but by the time the cleanup was over, there was not one piece of trash in sight.
Students found many unique objects like boat remnants, shoes, a ton of fishing lures, hats, and even a doormat. Mario Alejandro Duque (10) went to the cleanup, and when asked about it, he stated, "Sure, I'd say it was a good chunk of trash we cleaned up, considering some people found ridiculously large items."
The students had an impeccable attitude towards helping save the environment. Mr. Roch ensured there was a friendly and cooperative environment. During the event, there was great camaraderie among the students; teachers and students shared many words of encouragement.
If you need community service hours, cleaning up beaches is a win-win for all. Do not worry if you missed this cleanup, as there will be plenty more opportunities.
To find a cleanup near you, please check out https://www.volunteercleanup.org/. This site will show you the upcoming cleanups that are close to your area.
Since the cleanup started early on a Saturday morning, I asked the volunteers if they would have preferred a different time. When asked, Akim Bonhomme (10) said, " No, it was great timing. If the cleanup were any later, I ... would have been more lazy and probably not have gone at all."
One of the fantastic perks of beach cleanups, other than helping save the environment, is community service hours. All students need a bare minimum of 100 community service hours to graduate high school. If you do a cleanup once every month, you can earn these 100 hours in no time, and you would most likely have a better conscious knowing you are actively helping the environment. Furthermore, both marine science teachers Mr. Larios and Mr. Roch, gave students extra credit if they showed them proof that they were at the cleanup.
Cleaning up the beach/bay is more than just community service hours it is about helping out the plants and animals that make our Florida special.
Page updated
Report abuse