‘You can’t help but notice the trash.’ Saginaw students take initiative to cleanup nearby lake

Like many teenagers, Caroline Duley likes sleeping in on Saturday mornings. However, she likes saving the environment even more.

Duley, a junior at Saginaw Chisholm Trail High School, and several other students joined forces for the first “Off The Trail” event, a community service project around Marine Creek Lake. It paired Chisholm Trail students with those from feeder schools, Ed Willkie and Marine Creek middle schools, to paint a bridge along the hiking trail, pick up trash on the trail and install new signs and information.

“I didn’t really think that a lot of kids were there until I walked down to the bridge and saw how many kids showed up and were willing to wake up early and come to this event on their Saturday,” Duley said.

In all, over 300 students volunteered and were joined by close to 100 adults, said Chisholm Trail Principal Winston McCowan, whose school overlooks the lake just north of Loop 820 in Fort Worth. He said the idea for the event came from the students.

McCowan said he created a committee of students from clubs, organizations and sports and asked them to come up with a community project. The group, called the Ranger Voice Committee, suggested a cleanup day at the lake.

Carla Hardy, a former Chishom Trail assistant principal and now assistant director of fine arts, then reached out to the Texas Regional Water District. The schools joined the water district in their scheduled Trash Bash at Marine Creek Lake and now they have a partnership going forward, McCowan said.

“There is nothing greater than students taking the initiative and recognizing the power they have to affect positive change in the world. Anytime they can practice that imperative skill while in school, everyone wins,” Hardy said.

“The question was posed to us about how we could bring our district together and unify our schools, and how our schools could be what unifies our community,” said Duley, a member of the Ranger Voice Committee. “We have this great resource at Marine Creek Lake, so we thought we should take care of it, especially since we adopted part of the trail.

“It worked out perfectly that the TRWD had a trash bash planned on that weekend. We knew it would be the right opportunity to have a bunch of kids involved in their community.”

Time to be appreciative

The day also included a community celebration that featured a fishing pond and a rock climbing wall.

But mostly, it was an opportunity for students and adults to give back to their community. Along with picking up trash, students cleaned the boat ramp near Marine Creek Ranch, areas by the dam and by the night school.

“There were kids all over the lake,” Duley said with a chuckle.

McCowan noted that the students also became the first at Marine Creek Lake to adopt a trail, complete with signage with our school logo on it.

“I like seeing people being social with each other and making friends. It shows we can be a community together and be spirited, especially about doing something as little as picking up trash or painting a bridge,” freshman Noelia Dimas said.

Said Marine Creek seventh-grader Yanely Borbolla: I get to experience what being a community feels like and it makes this area more comforting for me. I feel like it makes our green space even better and it helps us all get along together, too.”

McCowan said the plan is to make this an annual event and to grow it even larger. He believes a stronger message needs to be sent about respecting the planet and the environment.

“Society has changed drastically in the last five to 10 years, and it takes a much more valiant effort to show a need to respect our environment,” he said. “I definitely feel events like that can surely help.”

Hardy said she hopes what the students did inspires students elsewhere to follow suit with their own projects.

“I believe it is absolutely the start to a broader impact in our immediate community partnership. I only heard students talk about how much fun they had, and the realization that service can be about more than checking a box is powerful for their future endeavors,” she said. “Excitement is contagious, so let’s hope it is a catalyst for more students to respond in kind.

“In truth, we all learn from one another. The adults who served alongside the students were imperative to the success of Off the Trail.”

Worth the wait

Duley said she has wanted to see a project like this become a reality for some time.

“Ever since I moved here 12 years ago this lake is a place my family and I have utilized on Saturday mornings and throughout the day,” she said. “When you are walking around trying to enjoy your walk you can’t help but notice the trash.

“This lake is now representing us as a school and a student body, so I want to make sure we keep it clean. And we have our new bridge, so I want to make sure that looks nice and stays clean.”

Then, she said, “This is a small part of the big solution. There is a lot more to do. Start from the bottom and work your way up.”

Hardy said her favorite part of the day was watching students talk and laugh with one another while enjoying all Marine Creek Lake offers the community.

“It was such a great day to get back to the basics of human interaction and enjoying being outside with one another,” she said.

Mylie Medina, seventh-grader at Marine Creek, added, “We’re doing this with friends and also making a difference. I think it’s great how everyone can agree on one thing and do this as a community.”