Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

A Life Changing Experience

By Priya

Over the long October weekend we went to Beavers Bend State Park, Broken Bow in Oklahoma. It is very popular with residents from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, as it borders all three states. It has a beautiful lake and neat nature center with all type of natural habitat. The hikes are a lot of fun, as a lot of them continue along side the creek.

As enjoyable as the hike was seeing many birds, squirrels, deer, water spiders, and water striders, and all types of fish in the creek, I couldnâ€™t miss the amount of trash on this beautiful natural hike, like cans, bottles, rope, cigarettes, broken fishing lines, lighters, bottle tops, cups, paper, plastic six pack holders, towels, even a sneaker.

There were also plastic bags; I saw a squirrel trying to find remnants of food from, it was almost caught in the bag. A fishing line or plastic bag can kill animal, if they get caught in them. I felt sorry for the animals, and sad for human kind, to spoil such a beautiful environment with our artificial trash, simply due too our laziness.

I had read about the Apprentice Ecologist Initiative a few weeks earlier, so I took this opportunity to do my part to make a difference. Me and my brother, with some help from my parents, got as many trash bags out of the car, and started picking up anything we felt that littered the place. We followed along the Beaver Lodge natural trail. It is approximately 1 mile to the Broken Bow Dam. We just kept filling those bags, besides a couple of water breaks; we didnâ€™t stop until we were at the end of the trail. Three hours later, we had filled ten big black trash bags. We had placed the bags along the way and my dad took them back. The trail back was so satisfying; it was a completely different and calming experience.

After picking up all the trash, it was a great feeling that I had made a difference, in getting rid of obstacles for the animals, and turned the trail into a more enjoyable experience for all.

Then, on our way back to Texas on route 37, we stopped at the state border to admire the Red River. After cleaning the trail, I was appalled at the site under the bridge where we stopped, there were beer can boxes, ice bags, chips, Styrofoam cups, spoons, forks, water bottles, food boxes, and a lot of McDonaldâ€™s bag. The trash completely distracted your view of the beautiful river.

This area gets a lot of people stopping due to it's proximity to the highway. Many people park their cars along the river, to enjoy the view, and have a food break, and then they leave their mark behind. The amount of trash people left in this area was unbelievable. Way more than what we picked up along the creek.

Again, we set off and spent two hours and picked every piece of trash from this spot, almost filling 12 big black bags. I think now as people will see a cleaner spot, they are less likely to be the first ones to throw something, it is easier for human kind to throw trash when there is some already there.

This experience has changed my outlook on nature and how trash ruins the environment, I will be taking this experience to be an advocate at my school and the local community, and help others get a similar outlook, by cleaning up our schools and communities. I feel the initiative from the Apprentice Ecologist has given me a direction for my voice for which I was searching, for my National Junior Honor Society, my Student Council, and towards my silver award for Girls Scouts. It has changed the direction my life will take, to help others protect our beautiful environment, and its special habitat.