Last year for the 4th of July, my family and I went on a kayaking adventure. We camped on the island from which the fireworks were shot. That way, we’d have one of the best views. We weren’t the only ones who had that idea. Many boaters from all around the state had come in for this big event. The island was filled with boaters. It was the 4th of July so of course we had party foods. We had our towels spread across the sand and waited for the show to begin. Most of the islanders went down to the shoreline. They brought their party food with them. What looked to be innocent families having a good time, were actually undercover litterbugs. It was too hard to see at night, but in the morning the destruction was dreadfully clear. The trash had taken over the beach. There was so much of it, we could hardly walk. While my parents loaded the kayaks into the water, my sister and I filled three garbage bags with trash. That hardly even put a dent in the destruction already made. Two garbage bags didn’t even gather a quarter of it. There was just too much. Ashamed, we went into our kayaks and paddled on the calm Columbia River. The trash filled beach had opened my eyes. This wasn’t the first time someone’s littered. People are littering all of the time. So it hit me. I could make a difference. Every Friday my friend and I go out for a walk and each fill a garbage bag with trash. Not only do we have fun walking and talking, we also help the earth. Each week we tackle a different street. If everyone would do that, the Earth would be so much cleaner.
Now, every time we leave my house I tell my mom, “Look how clean!! I did that!!”
She smiles, nods her head and gives me a hug. “Yes you did.”