More than 60 join WSU Tri-Cities cleanup effort

RICHLAND, Wash. – Thousands of pieces of trash were collected and disposed of Saturday during the first Washington State University Tri-Cities Environmental Club cleanup day on Bateman Island in Richland.

The effort welcomed 60 volunteers and organizations throughout the day, which was more than the club anticipated.

“One of the central tenets of the revamped environmental club is community service, so we really wanted to launch the club’s presence with a service event,” said Elinor Lake, club president.

Students Justin Hawkes and Chris Cannon collected pieces of trash to take home in hopes of creating an art installation as a physical reminder of what littering does to an area.

“It will be a time capsule of sorts,” Hawkes said. “The garbage will be set in an acrylic material, which will demonstrate just how much trash was collected and what it does to the environment.”

Larger items ranged from railroad ties to a miniature stove. Plastic bottles, beer cans and soda containers were packaged into 30 large bags to be recycled and disposed of.

“Once all the bags were gathered together, it was shocking to see the cumulative human impact,” said Lake. “It was also rewarding to realize that all of this material would no longer pollute the environment.”

She said the idea for the cleanup day came from club officer Randy Bartoshevich. The club partnered with a variety of community groups to make the event possible, including:

• Columbia Center Rotary
• City of Richland
• Tapteal Greenway
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
• Lower Columbia Audubon
• Columbia Basin Native Plant Society
• Inter Alpine Mountain Club
• Fun, Fit and Over 50 Club
• Herb Club
• Basin Bloomers

Advisor Gretchen Graber said the club hopes to make the event into an annual occurrence for not only Bateman Island but also other parks and public wildlife areas in the Tri-Cities region.

“The event was successful as far as connecting local groups to newer, younger generations,” she said. “It was nice to be outside in a beautiful place among friends, doing something positive for our community and exposing the next generation to engaging in their community.”