Pick-Uppalooza cleans up Plymouth one walk at a time

As the snow quickly melts away and the ground is nearly bear, we can't help but notice what is underneath. The town of Plymouth is littered with trash. To fix this problem, Jeremiah Duncan, a second-year chemistry professor, has decided to challenge faculty, staff, and community members, to partake in what he calls the Pick-Uppalooza. He is asking that every time you go out for a walk, you bring a bag with you and pick up any trash that you see along the way: a simple act that will yield impressive results.

            "We are a community living in a small town, so this has become everyone's problem," Duncan said. "We all need to do something."

            While I chatted with Duncan about how he developed his idea to help clean up the town, we walked from Boyd over to Russell Street and back. In this short distance we easily filled an entire shopping bag with cans, glass bottles, and plastic. This just goes to show how much tidying up the town could use. Duncan explained that over the course of six weeks while Recycle Mania was taking place on campus, he collected trash on his daily walks with his dog to see just how much would amount. He ended up with 117.5 pounds of litter. His simple efforts are a prime example of one person's ability to make a significant difference, and prove that the community can definitely have a large impact on the town.

            "What I see is a cultural problem that our culture chooses to ignore," he pointed out. "We need to change that culture."

            Duncan is reaching out to the campus by giving class presentations that encourage faculty and students to help him speed up his efforts, by taking the time to simply fill up a bag or two while out walking.

            "One person going out with one bag is not only going to help change just the community, but the culture of our community too," he said.

            In addition to giving presentations, Duncan has created a Facebook page and website that includes all of the information about his efforts. People are frequently posting stories about their experience, and some even have posted pictures of the recyclables they have collected while walking around campus. Duncan is also hoping to have a table at Earth Jam to raise awareness, as well as having T-shirts designed by the Graphic Design department promoting his idea.

            Duncan emphasized that Pick-Uppalooza is not a single event, but instead a challenge to the Plymouth community to clean up their home. He hopes that by the time one quarter of the students graduate in May, they will be leaving behind more than just their trash. Instead they will leave behind a clean town that will be welcoming to incoming students in the fall.

            To find out more information about Pick-Uppalooza's upcoming events, to view Duncan's presentation, or to be added to his email list, you can visit his website at www.tinyurl.com/plymouthpickup, or become of a fan of his Facebook page "Plymouth Pick-Uppalooza." Remember, next time you go out for a walk to enjoy the fresh spring air, grab a plastic bag and see how this simple act can help clean up the community and change its culture.