Volunteers from Cummins Inc. assist with cleaning up a large, illegal dump site in Brown County
happen this year. The local group, founded in 2016, has dwindled in numbers, and it has a shortage of able-bodied, dependable people to do the work.
The BCSWMD, a separate entity and a part of county government, has similar trouble with its Adopt a Road program. Out of Brown County’ s 400 miles of road, only about 25 stretches are spoken for, said Director Phil Stephens.“ A lot of the original adoptees are older now and are having to relinquish that responsibility,” he said.
Besides Cummins, which runs a formal community service program for its employees, the most cleanup help lately has come from Scout groups, the Rotary Club, and local veterans, Paradise said.
“ We need more members,” said KBCB board member Mark Shields, a“ spring chicken” of the group in his late 40s.“ Almost all nonprofits are having the same issues, finding people that are interested and available to volunteer.”
Vavul is thankful to have had adequate help for the Lakes-area cleanup every year, with more welcome to join.“ We would feed you!” she added. However, as a real estate agent, she’ s also aware that her community is continually changing.“ I sold the houses of probably four or five people that participate in it, and then our average age is probably over 60, so that may be something that I could foresee becoming an issue,” she said.“ But we do have a really good community with people who like to get out and just make it a better community.”
Besides increasing manpower, KBCB believes that changing mindsets is key to making a lasting difference, which also takes time.
Stephens still remembers scenes from governmentsponsored, anti-littering commercials that aired decades ago.“ There needs to be more examples set at the upper government levels,” he said.
Shields acknowledges that since the landfill closed, trash disposal, especially for large items, has become more difficult.
Paradise would like to see people start showing a little more care for the good of their own community as well as the food chain, the oceans, and the environment at large.“ We’ re trying to do something about the trash around, but people need to do something, too. We can’ t do it by
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