Anyone driving along WV State Route 3/12 from Alderson to Hinton recently should notice that the sides of the road look exceptionally clean with no litter to be found. What is going on? Have the citizens of this area taken it upon themselves to pick up the trash to make their communities a better place? I’m afraid that is not the case. So who is responsible for this revolutionary act? I must say that I’ve had the pleasure to meet them…they are Pick Up America. Pick Up America (http://pickupamerica.wordpress.com) is a group of volunteers who are walking across the USA picking up trash to help inspire a transition toward zero waste. Their 13 state quest started in Assateague, MD on March 20, 2010 and will end in San Francisco Bay, CA sometime in November 2011.
It was serendipity that brought our life circles into contact. I received a call from the president of the Friends of the Lower Greenbrier River, in which I also serve as a board member, who asked me if I could put up the Pick Up America crew for a night as they passed through our county picking up trash. Of course I agreed and the rest is history. The crew rolled into the farm around 9:00 PM on Thursday night in Rosie, their colorful 26 foot command center and shelter on wheels. We welcomed the eight volunteers with open arms and proceeded to party the night away with plenty of food, music, dancing, and fun. So what was so serendipitous about Pick Up America’s visit? Their visit just happened to coincide with our 9th Annual Hootenanny which started on Wednesday night and ran through Saturday night. I have to say it was the most fun I’ve ever had on a Thursday night at the Hoot. The night was truly magical as the Pick Up America crew, who were all great musicians and singers, joined forces with musicians from across southern West Virginia (and Alaska) to pick and sing the night away. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much talent in one place at one time.
The Pick Up America volunteers definitely achieved some of their goals during their visit to OOHF – to inspire others to reduce waste, promote a litter-free environment, and encourage personal responsibility and community action in our quest to adopt alternatives to the throwaway mentality. Even after the Pick Up America crew moved on, we could all feel and see the difference at the farm as people became more aware of the trash they generated, redoubled their efforts to separate out the recyclables, and even picked up after themselves and one another. I could not believe it when I woke up Sunday morning and you could not tell that there were over 75 people partying at the farm on Saturday night. Truly amazing! Let’s hope the seeds that Pick Up America have and continue to sow will bear fruit across the USA.
I encourage all of my blog readers to check out their website and follow their journey across the USA. Better yet, make a tax deductable donation to a wonderful cause and spread the word. These volunteers, and the volunteers they inspire along the way, are some of the best America has to offer and are truly an inspiration for what can and should be.
